Cape Town - Hundreds of mourners gathered at the Clovelly Country Club in Fish Hoek to remember the life and legacy of Pick n Pay founder Raymond Ackerman.
Family, friends, and colleagues travelled from across the world to be present at the memorial service, yesterday, including Cape Town mayor Geordin-Hill Lewis and Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba.
Close to the grieving family were the comforting presence of Ackerman’s and his wife Wendy’s dogs, Penny and Seve.
The business magnate and philanthropist, who grew up in Cape Town, died last Wednesday, aged 92. The funeral took place last Friday.
Ackerman founded Pick n Pay in 1967, with his wife and business partner Wendy, after purchasing four stores in Cape Town.
More than 50 years later, the Pick n Pay Group has more than 2 000 stores across South Africa, and seven in other African countries.
Images of Ackerman appeared at Pick n Pay stores across the country, soon after the news of his death was made public, with staff and shoppers able to share messages of condolence.
On Monday, Pick n Pay said its stores would open at 9am, as staff would be attending the service.
Ackerman’s youngest son and third-generation president of Clovelly Country Club, Jonathan, said the memorial was held at his father’s favourite place.
Clovelly Country Club was opened 92 years ago by Ackerman’s father, Gus.
“In the 1960s and in the late 60s, my dad opened Clovelly to all races, becoming the first non-racial club in South Africa.
“On his 70th birthday, he started RAGA, the Raymond Ackerman Golf Academy, bringing children from Masiphumelele (and) Ocean View to Clovelly, and today, we have over 300 graduates who are doctors, lawyers, engineers, dentists, etc, so his legacy lives on at Clovelly (Country Club),” he said.
Long-standing friend Hugh Sidney Herman said: “We all recognise the incredible contribution Raymond has made as an individual, and his memory will live on for a long time after him, but I also think it’s important to mention Wendy, his wife and business partner for over 60 years,” he said.
“I think it’s very critical to know that Raymond never made any decisions without consulting Wendy. He was the outward-facing partner of their marriage and of their business partnership, but he certainly consulted her on everything. He took her advice, he took her attention to things, and he took it to heart.”
Pick n Pay independent non-executive director Audrey Mothupi said: “Raymond Ackerman was the kindest, humblest, and most deeply caring human I’ve had the privilege of working with. I don’t remember when it started, but every meeting my greeting to Raymond was, ‘Hello, young man’, and that became our thing. I now have to say, ‘Goodbye, young man’. I will miss you, we will miss you. You are gone but not forgotten, and all of us at Pick n Pay promise to multiply the goodness that you left with us.”
Between eulogies, the Herzlia Choir performed in Ackerman honour. Jewish prayers were read, led by Rabbi Greg Alexander.
The ceremony was concluded by the family, who used Ackerman’s golf cart to informally play a round of golf as a final send-off to the avid golfer.
