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| 5 Apr 2026 | |
| Written by Phillip Pare | |
| Passing of friends |
Peter Anderson - 1st July 1940 – 3rd April 2026.
Peter Anderson was the Senior Master of Bishops Prep from April 1970 to April 1985.
It is with sadness that I heard of his passing on Good Friday, 3rd April 2026 after a long struggle with dementia in a retirement home in Kenilworth, Cape Town.
He leaves his son, Peter Robert Anderson, his daughters Janet, Megan and Philippa (Pippin) and many grandchildren having been predeceased by his wife Elisabeth a year ago.
I first met Peter in 1970 when he arrived in Cape Town to take over the reins of Bishops Prep from Pieter van der Bijl. I was only just 12 years old and he was very concerned that Bishops boys were unable to name and draw more than three indigenous birds. That was before Pippin was born. He continued to lead Bishops Prep in a way that drew the admiration of teachers and parents alike. My father's sister was head of Kildare nursery school in Newlands and many of her charges ended up at Bishops. She often spoke about how excellently Peter was leading Bishops Prep.
Peter's foundations in the Christian faith were strengthened at Wits University where he was active in various Christian societies along with Steve Hayes and John Greig both of whom accepted the call to ordination in the Anglican Church. John Greig later became a Chaplain at Bishops. I mention this Christian foundation as Peter's commitment to serve other people has deep roots in his faith. He has always taken the Eucharist very seriously and he would make sure that he was dressed in a suit on Sundays to receive Christ at the morning service.
When he and Elisabeth arrived in Jane Furse, Limpopo in April 1985, there was very little infrastructure present but they took the challenge to mould their staff and to get buildings built that would give the local children an education that would not disappoint. Peter junior had just finished his matric at Bishops and would go on to win a Rhodes Scholarship to study at Oxford. His sisters were the ones who really had to carry the cross of their parents' altruism in leaving Cape Town and coming to Ga-Sekhukhune. They had to forgo a close family life to go and study as boarders at DSG in Pretoria. Pippin eventually said no and she said that she would come and study under her parents' direction at St Mark's. This was a wonderful sign that St Mark's, under the Anglican Church, and under Peter and Elisabeth's leadership, was aspiring to give all learners a truly world class education at a time when Apartheid was denying many people this.
After retiring from St Mark's he stayed in Cape Town for some years and then, when Elisabeth, his wife, retired from the Centre for the Book, they lived for many years on the coast at Kasouga, about 70 kilometres south of Grahamstown.
They then moved to Kenilworth where they were closer to their children who have lovingly looked after them as they became frailer. His children continued to look after him after Elisabeth passed on last year in April.
We extend our condolences to Peter Robert, Janet, Megan and Pippin and all their families.
May our Lord have mercy on his soul and may he rest in peace and rise in glory.
Written by: Phillip Pare (1971-1974F; 1975O).
***
You are invited to a Celebration of Life service for Peter at St Thomas' Anglican Church, 61 Campground Road, Rondebosch, on Thursday 09 April at 2PM, followed by Tea.
The link for the online streaming is:
