I first met Keith when we were both working for IBM in 1970. Keith was working in Johannesburg while I was the insurance expert in Cape Town. We got together in Johannesburg to jointly solve problems installing ALIS; a major IBM system designed for life assurance companies. We both agreed that the system was fine, the problem was the staff at African Life. We immediately bonded and did a lot of socialising and beer drinking together.
When I was offered an exciting job at Old Mutual, my boss Max Leipold was in a quandary as IBM had a freeze on staff numbers and could not employ additional people. Transfers were ok so relocating Keith from Johannesburg to Cape Town was the answer. Keith had been offered a job in Toronto but decided Cape Town had the edge and soon Keith had taken my job as the insurance representative in Cape Town.
Valja and I saw a lot of Keith and Ruth and did a lot of combined weekend trips and parties. We both had young children who got along well with each other. Keith's son Kevin was instrumental in my son Dion getting a job in Canada and took Dion and I on a few rock climbing trips. They remain good friends.
Later we saw less of each other as Keith's passions were music and sailing while I spent most of my spare time mountaineering.
When we returned from our years in the UK, I found that Keith was a keen cricket follower, being a member of the Western Province cricket club. We spent several happy days watching cricket and drinking beer together.
Keith as a musician played at both my 50th and 70th birthday parties, both of which were very memorable
occasions.
Unfortunately we have both been busy in our own ways and have not seen much of each other lately. We are now on a round the world trip and will not be back until November.
Valja and I send best wishes to Keith and his family
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