Cape Town - The passing of longstanding pastor, academic, author and teacher Professor Daan Cloete continues to be felt and gently mourned with an outpouring of tributes online.
Gerhard Daniël “Daan” Cloete passed away at Netcare Kuils River Hospital on Sunday.
He was admitted on Saturday evening after feeling unwell. By Sunday, his condition had not improved.
Cloete was 85 and resided in Beroma, Glenhaven, in Bellville.
The University of the Western Cape (UWC) professor came from the small town of Lutzville on the West Coast. As a reverend, the first congregation he served was in Worcester.
Cloete’s son, Ryan said his father’s lungs had been suffering. In addition to his old age, Cloete had also contracted Covid-19 for the first time in February, with the illness affecting the ability of his lungs to perform optimally even after having recovered from the disease.
At the age of 72, he suffered a heart attack and had a stent put in.
Cloete and colleagues would offer bi-weekly free classes on religious studies on Radio Tygerberg. After retiring at 64, he continued teaching first and second-year university students until age 67 and thereafter continued part-time teaching until 72.
He ceased teaching following the heart attack.
In a statement, UWC Rector and Vice-Chancellor Professor Tyrone Pretorius said: “Professor Cloete served as acting rector and vice-chancellor during the transitional period between the terms of professors Jakes Gerwel and Cecil Abrahams. He was widely recognised for his intellectual role and for standing by strong moral principles.”
Cloete joined UWC in the early 1980s and was the dean of theology and acting vice-rector.
In 2005, he was the recipient of the Chancellor’s Special Recognition Award.
He was the husband to Doreen and father of three sons and grandfather of one.
The family is expected to gather at the family home from 1.30pm on Sunday, followed by a viewing at the Uniting Reformed Church of Southern Africa, in Bellville South at 2.30pm. The service is scheduled for 3pm. Cloete will be cremated.