Former Port Shepstone mayor Danny Roos leaves a lasting legacy
Danny was married to the love of his life, Mary Coombes, who immigrated with her family from England.
The South Coast has lost an icon, a man of stature and a local treasure in Danny Roos of Port Shepstone, who died aged 91 last Thursday (March 18).
He was born Daniel Rudolph Roos in Johannesburg on June 17 in 1929.
A humble man, he was well known for many things, including having served as the mayor of Port Shepstone, in an era where councillors worked to benefit the community, for no salary.
Danny was a man who wore many hats, had a wicked sense of humour, and told a story well.
Whether he was dressed in mayoral regalia and chains, or skippering his ski-boat while taking on wild waves, he had discernment, compassion and understanding – he could read people and access their needs in much the same way he could discern the moods of the ocean.
He was slow to anger and seemingly unaffected by the rocks thrown in his path.
Danny worked as an electrician for most of his life, although he delved into farming at times, with the kind of success that made him realise that electrical work and maintenance (and fishing!) was something he was far better suited to.
He learnt life’s lessons well and was able to adopt and adapt them to whatever circumstances life threw at him.
Danny was married to the love of his life, Mary Coombes, who immigrated with her family from England.
He wasted very little time in proposing and they shared 62 years of wonderful, exciting, adventurous marriage, ended only by Mary’s death in December 2015.
Danny was always full of praise for her, describing her as a mother, wife, teacher, companion, friend and nurse of rare love and dedication, someone who never grumbled or uttered a nasty word and who never kept any swear words in her head, even if she heard them!
They were blessed with five children, Kathleen, Elizabeth, Peter, Louise and Karyn.
Despite the large family and work commitments, Danny and Mary made time for some exciting travels throughout Africa, going overland, mattress in the back of the bakkie, with a small table, two chairs and a cooker. Life was good.
Their last overseas trip was around the world for two and a half months – visiting England, Ireland, Scotland, the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
There was always a place to stay as they had so many friends who would warmly welcome them into their homes.
It was while working as an electrician in his younger days, and before he opened his own business, that Danny became foreman to Arthur Edwards, who was an apprentice back then. The two would become lifelong friends.
The Roos and Edwards families started a tradition where the families would watch movies on the weekends on Arthur’s 16mm projectors at the Edwards home. Happy times and wonderful memories.
In 1978, Danny nominated himself to serve on the Port Shepstone Town Council and was duly elected, later going on to serve as mayor.
During his years on council the new hall and council chamber complexes were built and a major upgrade of the electrical system took place.
Danny was chairman of the public works and electrical committee.
He was also appointed to the Lower South Coast Regional Water Board.
He was Chairman of the Port Shepstone Museum committee board as well as a member of the Port Shepstone Hospital board.
Whilst Mayor of Port Shepstone, Danny had the opportunity to meet some famous politicians, including Nelson Mandela, Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Jacob Zuma.
In terms of hobbies, fishing was, by some way, his great passion.
It started young, when he would fish with his father and two brothers every weekend.
When back on the coast he showed some entrepreneurial spirit, selling surplus catch at 10c a fish which helped pay for groceries for the family.
In 1974 he became friends with Karel Kriel, who had a small ski-boat hull about three meters in length, while Danny owned a trailer and a 25hp Suzuki outboard motor.
With Danny as skipper and Karel hanging onto the front to keep it weighed down – to prevent the boat lifting out of the water and tail-walking when launching from the Umzimkulu River – they caught a lot of fish, incredibly, without mishap.
In 1975 it was law that one had to have a skipper’s licence so Danny joined the Shelly Beach Ski-boat Club and Tony Potgieter issued him with his certificate of competency.
Danny fished many competitions at club, provincial and national level.
He collected T-shirts from the various clubs where he represented Shelly Beach Ski-boat Club, accumulating 176 shirts by the time he stopped fishing ‘away’ competitions in 1988.
In 2006 Danny was awarded South African Deep Sea Angling (SADSAA) colours as skipper.
He reluctantly sold his boat at the age of 83, relying on his friends to take him out – and on one occasion surprised everyone by catching three yellowfin tuna!
As an icon, family man and role model, Danny has left a legacy on the South Coast and beyond, one that has made a vital and lasting impact and which will be difficult to match.
He is survived by his only remaining sister Bess Ehrke, his children Kathleen van Andel, Elizabeth Simpson, Peter Roos, Louise Roos and Karyn Brockelbank, grandchildren Mary van Andel, Daniel van Andel and James Roos, and four great-grandsons.
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