Aaron Rose was a friendly and good-humoured pupil -- "fun to be with", as one classmate recalls. He was not a notable scholar in his early days at the school, and in the arena of sports he played only sporadically for the fifth XV -- "I hardly ever got the ball, as the team knew I would not know what to do with it!" Aaron enjoyed the lighter side of DHS so much that he took the scenic route to matriculation, repeating his sixth form year and completing his studies with the class of 1962. But by then he was a much more serious student, as he was determined to have a career as a teacher.
After school Aaron attended the Durban Teachers' Training College from 1963 to 1965. He received his Natal Teachers Senior Diploma as a science teacher, and then embarked on a series of positions with the Natal Education Department. At Beachwood High he met Moira Macmillan, where she was the school librarian, and they were married in 1968. Here is their wedding photo:
Aaron and Moira had three sons, David, Andrew and Jeremy. All three boys attended DHS and all received the Scientia tie academic award; additionally, Andrew won the sixth form Accounting Prize and David was Dux of the school. Aaron himself continued his studies part-time at the University of Natal, where he took his BA degree in English and Afrikaans.
After serving as acting principal at several Durban Schools, Aaron was appointed principal of the Van Riebeeck Primary School on the Bluff in 1979. This is a photo of Aaron as school principal:
In school holidays Aaron travelled around SA and abroad. Here is a photo the family on a visit to the UK in 1987: from left to right, Andrew, David, Jeremy, Moira, and Aaron:
In 1998 Aaron and Moira travelled to the UK again, to attend David's graduation from Cambridge University with a Ph.D in statistics. Aaron especially appreciated the "insider" view of Cambridge college life that he gained on that trip.
Aaron remained as principal at Van Riebeeck Primary for 31 years, until his mandatory retirement in 2009. After his retirement he held the position of Secretary of the Retired Teachers Association for many years. He travelled with Moira to North America, Eastern Europe, and to Sweden, where his son Andrew lives.
Aaron attended our 50 year reunion in Durban in 2011, where many of us were delighted to reconnect with our amiable old classmate after half a century. Here is Aaron on that occasion, with our classmate Raymond Lalouette:
Unfortunately Aaron became ill in 2018. He recently suffered a rapid deterioration from dementia, compounded by septicemia, and passed away on 6 December 2022.
Aaron Rose is survived by Moira, his wife of 54 years; his sons David, Andrew, and Jeremy, and his daughter in law Michelle.
[Special thanks to David Rose (class of 1988) for his help with this In Memory notice]
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Christopher Harris
I'm very sad to learn that Aaron has left us. I didn't know him very well while we were at DHS as we followed differing subject trails. I also followed a leisurely path through school and stayed on in '62 for a second innings in Matric. I got to know him then. We both wanted to be teachers, but hadn't applied ourselves sufficient;y to our studies, and realised that we needed to get our heads down. We both played in the 5th XI - without much distinction, it must be said, but with great enjoyment. I greatly enjoyed his sense of irony and his flow of witticisms. He had a marvellous sense of humour. After a more successful Matric year, we both entered Durban Teachers' Training College. While there, we played cricket and rugby, again with little distinction, but enjoying the camaraderie and the post-match socialising, sometimes more so than was good for us. After training, we followed similar, but different career paths. As Ian has told us, Aaron finished up behind the Headmaster's desk at Van Riebeeck Park Primary and owned the chair for the next 30-odd years. He was an institution. Like many of us, when the political ructions began in earnest and the education system was being rejigged to make it more "inclusive," he took what was euphemistically called "early retirement" and found himself a reluctant retiree. We kept in touch via this Clas of '61 facility once it was created. I know that he will be greatly missed. RIP, old pal.
Nolan Wood
NOLAN WOOD
I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Aaron. He and his family were our next door neighbours and he and I spent a lot of time together. I enjoyed his company and a lasting memory I will have of Aaron was his sense of humour and the fact that nothing got him down.
After writing Matric, I follwed the advice of that wonderful teacher Bill Payne and went to Teachers Training College. As I was a year adhead of Aaron I could give him the do's and dont's, so it made his life a lot easier.
Aaron and I were like all students - study hard and party hard, and, aided by a wonderful character Brian Jerome, who had decided to give up his job at Caltex to study and become a Teacher as well, we had an ally. Brian was a lot older than us. As fast bowler who played Cricket and Baseball for Natal, he got the Teachers' Training College Cricket side up to speed and we made a good team, Fortunately Brian had a car whereas we did not, so from that time onwards there was nothing we couldnt do - among other things fishing at Richards Bay. At that time there was just a Hotel, one grocery store and a camp site with the biggest mosquitos you've ever seen ! To Aaron, however, it was paradise.
This was follwed by a hunting trip to the then Transvaal, recomended by Aaron's close buddy,"Shorty," who had a relative who owned a farm in the Magalisberg, where, according to "Shorty", there were more buck than fleas on a dogs back, guinea fowl by the thousands and a dam bursting with fish. Eugene Marais would often stay at the farm, where he famously penned 'Soul of the White Ant'. One night Aaron was tasked with finding dinner. We gave him the Shot Gun and said "go and get the Dinner ". After about an hour later, just as we were getting worried about Aaron, we heard his voice shouting "Ive got it Ive got it " and he burst into the clearing,with a pidgeon riddelled with buckshot ! But Aaron was chuffed and grin I will never forget, his first shot with a shotgun!
My sincere condolences to Aaron's family and friends he will always be remembered
Nolan