Obituaries for July 18, 2020: Rod Payze, Robert McAuley, Zindzi Mandela
Today we pay tribute to a powerhouse of the SANFL, a World War II navy veteran and the diplomat daughter of Nelson Mandela.
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Today we pay tribute to a powerhouse of the SANFL, a World War II navy veteran and the diplomat daughter of Nelson Mandela.
RODNEY JOHN PAYZE
Civil engineer and football administrator
Born: August 9, 1942, Henley Beach
Died: May 5, 2020, St Andrew’s Hospital
ROD Payze played a key role for decades in helping pave the way for South Australians in both work and recreation.
As a civil engineer who served as Transport Department chief executive from 1989-2000, Rod had a hand in major projects such as the South Eastern Freeway expansion, the O-Bahn, the Adelaide Airport runway and the Formula One Grand Prix track.
And, as SANFL president from 2003-10, Rod was involved in pivotal football decisions such as returning the home of South Australian football to Adelaide Oval.
He was born in Henley Beach during World War II to Rita and soldier Jack. Jack was away on duty in Darwin at the time, so Rita had to walk to the hospital. Jack saw his first son 11 months later.
Rod grew up in Henley Beach with siblings Grantley, Graham and Denise, surrounded by much activity.
Good behaviour and sporting achievement meant getting out of doing the dishes at home, so the athletic and hardworking youngster did not do them too often.
From 1956-60, Rod, a gifted swimmer, was coached by swim legend Harry Gallagher who also had several other stars in his stable, including Dawn Fraser. Rod won junior gold for breaststroke at the 1958 Australian titles. His family listened to the race huddled around a radio perched on the kitchen table.
But it was in football where Rod made his biggest sporting mark. He played 84 SANFL games on the halfback flank for West Torrens from 1959 alongside stars such as Lindsay Head. His children inherited his football prowess, with son Andrew playing more than 300 SANFL games and 14 for the Adelaide Crows.
Rod was also a member of the Grange Golf Club for almost 50 years, where he once landed a hole in one.
Showing academic prowess from his early days at Grange Primary, Rod won a scholarship for Adelaide Technical High School. He was head prefect in his final year.
Winning a Highways Department scholarship in civil engineering at Adelaide University in 1960, Rod gave up swimming to concentrate on studies and football.
He met the love of his life, Marie, at a dance at Norwood Town Hall. After she showed her hand by going out of her way to adjust a badge on his chest, Rod asked her father if he could give her a ride home.
They were soon inseparable and married in 1965.
Rod went on to work in the Highways Department, retiring from football in 1966 to focus on his career and family.
Andrew was born that year. The young family spent a year in the US so Rod could do further studies.
On returning, three more children arrived, ensuring holidays to Stansbury, on the Yorke Peninsula, were filled with fun and fishing.
Rod worked his way up the ranks in what became the Transport Department until being appointed chief executive in 1989.
He retired in 2000, concentrating on his other great passion, football administration – first as a SANFL commissioner and then as president.
Rod was awarded SANFL life membership in 2006. He led a delegation to Melbourne in 2009 which resulted in the Adelaide Oval deal taking place.
SANFL chief executive Jake Parkinson paid tribute to him.
“Over many years, Rod made an outstanding contribution to South Australian football,” Mr Parkinson said.
Rod was also the director of the RAA board from 2001-15 and director of the Flinders Ports board from 2012-20.
He is remembered by his family as an inspirational leader – a man with unflappable calm and endearing warmth.
It was evident early in his life that he had strong academic capability combined with athletic prowess and a hardworking attitude.
These were the qualities which served him well through his entire life.
Rod was also known for showing the same level of care and interest in everyone, whether it was a worker, a board member, or his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews on the sports field.
He is survived by Marie, children Andrew, Tim, Mark and Holly and seven grandchildren.
ROBERT HENRY McAULEY
Navy veteran
Born: October 9, 1923, Subiaco, Western Australia
Died: April 27, 2020, Henley Beach
“HOME Monday, marry Wednesday”.
That’s the telegram Bob McAuley sent to his fiance Margaret in June 1944 while serving on the HMAS Shropshire in the Pacific Ocean during World War II.
Bob served in the Royal Australian Navy from 1942-46 as part of a team which loaded ammunition shells into the back of eight-inch guns.
Born to Thomas, who also served in the navy, during World War I, and Lois, he was the eldest of five boys.
After Thomas took a job with SA Railways, he, Lois and six-week-old Bob moved from WA to Manoora, in the Mid North of South Australia.
They moved to Adelaide in 1930, where Bob went to Brompton Primary School.
At school, he met Margaret, who lived four doors down from his family home in Brompton. Once Bob was in high school at Thebarton Boys Technical, Margaret’s father banned her from seeing him, so he would climb a windmill in his backyard to yell out “hello” to her.
Bob played state school football, kicking five goals in one game on the Melbourne Cricket Ground. But the war interrupted his football, as well as his new job as a junior draughtsman.
During the war, Bob saw active service throughout the Pacific, including the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the biggest naval campaigns.
He was also at the signing of the surrender in Tokyo Bay in September 1945.
While on leave for 10 days in October 1943, he popped the question to Margaret.
She was making ammunition at a Penfield factory at the time. Later, she would joke: “I’ll make the shells, Bob, and you shoot them.”
They married at Scots Church, on North Terrace, city, on June 7, 1944. Daughter Rosemary was born in 1946, followed by Jenny in 1948.
They moved into their own home in Flinders Park in 1953 after living in a granny flat for seven years. Son Lindsay was born in February 1961.
After several jobs, Bob became state manager for Kosta Boda glassware, during which he would frequently travel interstate and overseas.
He retired from work in 1985 and, while at a relative’s funeral, made a decision to start documenting the family tree. This started a 35-year passion for genealogy.
Also in 1985, he helped start the Flinders Park Neighbourhood Watch and was involved in the program for almost five years. He won 1986 Citizen of the Year at the former Woodville Council.
Bob and Margaret moved into a retirement village in 1987 and, in 2017, she passed away after illness. Bob continued to organise the annual family Christmas party at the Lakes Resort Hotel. He died at 96 after a short illness.
Bob is survived by children Rosemary, Jenny and Lindsay, seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
ZINDZISWA MANDELA
Diplomat
Born: December 23, 1960
Died: July 13, 2020
ZINDZI Mandela forged her own path in the South African political landscape during a long and celebrated career.
The youngest daughter of Nelson and Winnie, she had served as the country’s ambassador to Denmark since 2015 following a career as a diplomat, poet and activist.
Zindzi died in a Johannesburg hospital on Monday morning on the same day, in 1969, that half-brother Thembekile died in a car accident. It was also just days before Nelson Mandela International Day, which commemorates the birthday of her father, the nation’s first black president.
Zindzi was Nelson’s sixth child and his second with Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, his second wife.
She grew up at the height of the anti-apartheid struggle when her father was imprisoned on Robben Island. She rose to prominence in 1985 when she read out her father’s rejection of president P.W. Botha’s offer of a conditional release from prison.
Zindzi served as stand-in first lady of South Africa from 1996-98 and had also served as deputy president of the Soweto Youth Congress.
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office released a statement saying he was “deeply saddened” by her death.
“After our liberation, she became an icon of the task we began of transforming our society and stepping into spaces and opportunities that had been denied to generations of South Africans,” he said.
The Mandela Legacy Foundation also paid tribute to her life.
“Zindzi was someone we had come to know well and to love. She was our friend,” the statement read.
“We valued her generosity, her warmth and her sense of humour.”
Zindzi worked with the organisation on many projects across the years, including the book A Hunger for Freedom, written by Anna Trapido.
She is survived by second husband Molapo Motlhajwa and children Zoleka, Zondwa, Bambatha and Zwelabo.