Long-time resident of Zeekoevlei, Father John Oliver (65), passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of Thursday morning, 4 July.

Father John made his mark on the greater Cape Town community as well as on his home turf of Zeekoevlei.

He was the founder of the Cape Town Interfaith Initiative and had recently retired after 18 years as rector of St Mark’s Church in District 6. In an article by Michelle Jones in the Cape Times on Friday 5 July, Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille spoke for the many people whose lives he touched over the years. ‘Father Oliver was one of the city’s distinguished religious leaders who used the gospel to mediate wherever divisions existed in different communities. He played an instrumental role uniting religious leaders in the city and province through the formation of the Western Cape Religious Leaders’ Forum,’ de Lille said.

In Zeekoevlei, Father John kept the tennis club going in the face of years of neglect and helped oversee its recent revival. He also worked tirelessly to rehabilitate Van Blommenstein Park. For many years, he and his wife Emma led the annual Inter-faith Carols by Candlelight services held at the Zeekoevlei Yacht Club. Those of us lucky enough to live on the water were accustomed to seeing Father John in his blue canoe paddling into the sunrise on summer mornings. This summer won’t be the same without him. Our heartfelt condolences go to his wife, Emma and children Sarah and Joseph.

The funeral service will be held at St Mark’s, District 6, on Thursday 11 July at 10h00. The family requests that, instead of flowers, indigenous plants be donated to continue John’s work at Van Blommenstein Park. For donations of plants, please contact Neil Major at 076 473 7095.

A memorial service will also be held on 20 July at St George’s Cathedral at 10am.