The memorial service of Mary Dobbie, founder of the Newcastle Crisis Centre, took place at the Grace Community Church on Saturday, with representatives from every sector in society paying tribute to a woman who left an indelible mark on everyone she engaged with.

Among those who shared their memories of Mary were representatives from Legal Aid, the Traffic Department, the Community Policing Forum, SAPS, the Department of Social Development, staff and volunteers of the crisis centre, the Provincial Hospital and members of the business community.

In a moving tribute at the memorial service, Amajuba District police commissioner Major General Fred Alexander described the tremendous role Mary played in his life.

“This was my mum. This is a woman who mentored me as a young police officer. Today, I am a major general because of her,” said Alexander.

“Mum, you touched our hearts so much,” he said. “We will forever miss you. We know you have done your best for the community of Amajuba. Thank you for all the advice. Thank you for making me a better person. Thank you for being the person you were.”

Alexander urged the congregation to take the baton and make sure that ‘a Mary’ lives in each and every one present, so her legacy may live on.

Traffic Chief Ashok Anandaw remembered Mary as the first person who would assist in times of crisis.

“Even on June 30, when the country was to undergo yet another crisis, in her ill state, Mary was still among the first responders who offered to assist. We are civil servants, but Mary served us all. Even her initials spell out MD and, like a medical doctor would, Mary healed a lot of people. I hope that, now she is gone, there won’t be a void …That somebody will take over the crisis centre who has the strength to walk in her shoes,” said Anandaw.

Perhaps one of the most moving tributes was that of a woman who spent two years at the crisis centre when she was a teenager in Grade 10.

The woman, who matriculated while she was still residing at the crisis centre, started her first job as an ICT (Information & Communication Technology) intern at MTN on the day Mary passed away (July 7).

She said to Mary, “This achievement is not mine alone, it is yours as well. You believed in me when I doubted myself. Thank you for taking me in and loving me. I will continue to make you proud.”

Thanks to the efforts of the curator of the Fort Amiel Museum, Louis Eksteen, and Mary’s close friend, Lynn Duthie, Mary’s life and her contribution to the community will be immortalised, with photos and newspaper clippings of Mary’s life on exhibit among the historical artefacts at the museum.

A brief history of Mary’s life by Lynn Duthie:

Mary Murphy Dobbie was born to John and Jane Porter on January 3, 1947.

The Porter family lived at 13 Ochilview Road, Tillicoultry. She attended Tillicoultry Primary School and then high school.

After high school, her first job was in a shoe shop, in a place called Menstrie (four miles from home).

Thereafter, she joined her mother, who worked at the Dunedin paper mill.

She met the love of her life, George Dobbie, in 1966 and they were married in 1968. Kenneth was born and she loved to tell everyone that her son was born in a castle (Airthrey Castle).

After Kenneth was born, Mary was a full-time mum and in 1975, George brought his family to South Africa in search of a better life.

She left her mum and two sisters, Jane and Helen, in Scotland.

She went on to have Scott, her second son, and Nicola, her daughter, both born in another castle, only this time it was Newcastle.

From the pen of Louis Eksteen (curator of Fort Amiel Museum)

It is with great sadness that the community of Newcastle has been informed of the untimely passing of our beloved Mary Dobbie.

A lot has been said about Mary’s selfless compassion and caring towards the community, especially to people in need and more especially to women and children from abusive situations.

Mary became actively involved in charitable organisations and was one of the first women to be invited to become a local Rotarian (an international charitable organisation) in Newcastle.

She was always very supportive of her husband, who was a Mason in the Scottish Lodge for many years.

The Freemasons are also actively involved in charitable and educational work.

When Mary’s children became involved in the Cub Scouts, Mary became a Cub mistress in Newcastle’s third Scouts Troupe.

In the mid-1970s to 1990s, a cultural highlight was the annual performance in the Newcastle Town Hall performed by the Music and Dramatic Society (MADS).

This was a group of amateurs who got together to choose an annual musical extravaganza to be performed for the enjoyment of the public.

Everyone got involved, from the local baker, technicians, musicians, stage décor artists, and even seamstresses who made the costumes. Sometimes, entire families were involved.

Bea Gerhardt and Mary produced these shows; and Mary, being passionate about acting, acted and sang in the shows herself.

She inspired the entire community with her ‘dramatic’ personality.

The proceeds of these shows were always donated to local charities.

During these years, Newcastle was home to a large immigrant population and MADS brought many of these folk together.

MADS became a sort of club, with dedicated people working hard during countless rehearsals, interspersed with lots of fun and laughter. MADS focused on many Rogers and Hammerstein musicals.

A few of the shows they performed were ‘The Sound of Music’, ‘The King and I’, ‘South Pacific’, ‘Wonderful World’, ‘Dick Whittington’, ‘We Will Remember’ and ‘That’s Entertainment’.

Popular themes were the First and Second World War, world travel and comedies.

The performances were cast in various genres, especially pantomime, cabaret, music revue, coral music and drama.

Too many people were involved to name them all, but the older folk will recognise names like Bea Gerhardt, Alexis Rodgers, Lesley Schroeder, Trish Braum, Penny de Villiers, Jenny Hallam, Donna Kruger, Doreen and Richard Rockell, and Mike Fisher.

The Fort Amiel Museum was indeed fortunate to obtain a copy of Mary’s albums and newspaper clippings, together with photos and programmes of MADS.

You can view these at the museum.

If you were part of sharing these exciting times with Mary and MADS, please consider a small donation to the museum, allowing us to copy these for posterity, for our history.

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