Anthony Blaunfeldt was a kindly and helpful classmate, although he was not long in our cohort. He started out with us in 1958, but then proceeded through the school at his own stately pace, eventually matriculating six years later with the class of 1963. Anthony joined our website, but perhaps because he related more closely to comrades from later years, he did not participate in any of our activities.
Anthony married Margaret in 1971. He made a career in Durban with the Toyota car company, rising to the rank of a manager before his retirement.
Over a period of many years Anthony was prominent in civic affairs of the Umbilo area of Durban, and there are many newspaper accounts of his campaigns to resist neighbourhood deterioration resulting from crime and neglect. Anthony served several terms as chairman of the Umbilo Business forum. Here he is, in the middle of the photograph, promoting a plan to turn the abandoned building at rear into a youth centre:
Anthony was a also an active member, and several times chairman, of the Umbilo Community Policing Forum (front row, far left):
Unfortunately neighbourhood decay continued, and in the past two years Anthony became increasingly withdrawn and morose, and no longer participated in the organizations to which he had devoted so much time and energy.
Anthony passed away on 2 Februrary 2021. Despite extensive inquiries to his family and friends we have been unable to establish the cause of his death.
Anthony is survived by Margaret, his wife of 50 years, and his daughter Michelle, who both live in the Durban area.
Please let us know if you have any further information about Anthony and his life.
[Special thanks to Nick Gray for his help in researching this material]
|