A man whose life was lived well, laughed often and loved much; One that left the world better than he found it; One that never lacked appreciation of the earth’s beauty or failed to express it; Who always looked for the best in others and gave the best he had; Whose life was an inspiration; Whose memory a benediction.
These words were printed on the memorial service to celebrate Dennis’ life – they encapsulate the man that was Dennis Edmond Gehren. Dennis (83) passed away on April 29 after a short illness.
Dennis went to school in Dundee and distinguished himself as a Natal diver and the school drum major for five years. He matriculated in 1953 and joined Standard Bank in 1954. After working in the main branch in Smith Street, Durban, he was transferred to Empangeni where he also ran the Mtubatuba branch. He played rugby, fished and met many who became life-long friends.

He travelled and worked in London and Europe for 18 months before he returned to Dundee in 1961 where he joined Jimmy Law and his father, Theo Gehren, at GL Motors. He began his career as a petrol attendant and then salesman before eventually managing that garage. He married Jennifer Johnston in 1964 and they had three sons. He bought Shardlow garage which became Dundee Toyota (presently Jeff’s Service Station) and owned Dundee Volkswagen and Dundee Panelbeaters.
In 1975, Pro Nobis was started with MP, Gert Hanekom, – a school for mentally challenged children to meet a need in the community.
It is this philanthropic side of Dennis that grew and became the focus of Dennis’s life, as he grew older. The challenge of funding and running that school became a driving force in his life and he served on the board as Chairman and Treasurer until 2016. He started a bakery at Dundee Volkswagen to raise funds for Pro Nobis and create employment for some of the older people at Pro Nobis.

More on Dennis:

Fond farewell to Pro Nobis’s Dolf Myburg |

Theo Gehren Memorial bowls tournament on Frida

He organised many fund raising ventures eg. Persian carpet and wine auctions, travelling all the way to Cape Town to buy stock! He and his committees worked tirelessly to meet these needs – and the community of Dundee gave generously. The Dundee Adult Centre became his next project and he motivated and sought funds for the purchase of the Mpati Hotel where adult mentally handicapped people now live in safety and contentment when they can no longer be accommodated at Pro Nobis.

In 1994 Dennis and Jenny retired to Rorke’s Drift to fulfil his dream of living on a game farm. Dennis loved hunting and bird shooting and established both a game reserve and a hunting facility on his farm. There he became involved in the community in the area and had the unusual accolade of being elected as a Councillor for Pomeroy. He motivated and brought to fruition a water scheme for the rural community in his area, the building of a fully operational clinic at Elandskraal and he mentored emerging farmers at Camp Buffalo among other projects! He became guardian to three young orphans in the area and ensured that they had a home in their area and that they were able to have an education and assisted with employment opportunities.

In 2016 Dennis and Jenny moved from their lovely farm at Rorke’s Drift to Howick – partly to retire and partly to find a new phase in their lives

Their son, Marc, went to Sunfield Home in Howick in 1994 and this lead to Dennis and Jenny becoming involved in fundraising and active support for that facility.
Dennis’s huge capacity and drive led to the building of a Frail Care Centre and various other projects there. That is what Dennis did – he turned dreams into reality, he turned acquaintances into friends … an idea never remained an idea, it took shape and became real. Not only in his community-based service, but also in his home and family – a dream of a lovely thing to do was done – his sons would bear testimony to that! As would his wife, Jenny, such a faithful and loving companion of so many years. He was a great role model for his sons. Brett and Noel whose success in life bears testimony to this. His grandchildren and all the other children he loved and helped will always remember him as a wonderful, loving, caring mentor. In 2016 Dennis and Jenny moved from their lovely farm at Rorke’s Drift to Howick – partly to retire and partly to find a new phase in their lives – but especially to be near Marc who needs their close support in his life.
Dennis and the Gehren family will be sorely missed in Dundee – by all who knew them and the greater community where their influence reached.