A life well-lived, a family well-loved and a community well-served: that is the legacy of William Richard (Uncle Dick) Daly, who passed away in his sleep on Monday, 23 May.
Dick lived his entire life in Potchefstroom. Born on 27 December 1937, he showed early signs of being an achiever.

At the age of just four, he insisted on joining his favourite cousin at the Potchefstroom Convent: later completing three grades in his first year at Central Primary and matriculating at just 15 years of age, with a first-class pass from Potchefstroom Boys’ High. He remained a passionate supporter of – and benefactor to – the school, which educated three generations of his family.

As the eldest brother, it fell on him to start work while at school and complete his university education part-time at PUK to assist the younger family members with their education. He married his wife Georgene, who predeceased him, while completing his studies and articles, and went on to become the youngest qualified chartered accountant in South Africa.

He bought shares in the Potchefstroom Ford franchise, which he later went on to own and transform into Daly Ford with his brother Vernon, expanding the business to Nigel, Parys and Carletonville.

An active sportsman and a loyal, lifelong member of the Potchefstroom Country Club (where he served in various capacities for many decades), Uncle Dick went from playing hockey, cricket and swimming as a young man to later playing underwater hockey and squash for the province. Early pictures show him waterskiing, spear- and deep-sea fishing, hunting and yachting. He played golf at a league level and later socially, until his passing at age 84.

The Potchefstroom community and its various charities were always at the receiving end of Dick Daly’s expertise and generosity. He was a long-serving member of the Potchefstroom Girls’ High Governing Body, a chairperson of Round Table for many years – later being granted honorary membership in acknowledgement of his loyal service – and a member of the Potchefstroom Rotary Club.

It was not only in his academic and business life that Uncle Dick was ahead of his time. As a world traveller, he gained insight into international views and cultures, which saw him being an avid supporter of political change in the country. He was a driving force behind the YES anti-apartheid campaign in Potchefstroom in 1992 and lived with the unwavering belief in the need for the equality of all his countrymen.

A fair and honest man: business associates, clients and employees attest to his unwavering integrity in all his dealings. Those who interacted with Uncle Dick will remember him for his passion for farming and cars; his social nature; razor-sharp mind and the genuine interest he had in the well-being of all those who had the privilege to be part of his wide circle of friends and acquaintances.

One of the old-school pillars of the Potchefstroom community, Uncle Dick’s absence will be deeply felt and his lasting impact long remembered.

He is survived by his children Theo and Melissa, Sharon and Philip Pyburn; Dicky and Lize; Andrew and Madelaine; twelve grandchildren; four great-grandchildren and his fiancée, Flossie Stander. His funeral will take place at the Methodist Church of Potchefstroom at 11:00 on Tuesday, 31 May.