MULBARTON – Clem met his wife Pat in Pretoria and they were married in 1971. “We met when I was at college and he at Varsity. We developed a fantastic friendship before we married. We came to the South of Johannesburg in 1976 and lived in Alan Manor and then Meredale and Ridgeway before moving to Mulbarton. Clem was an amazing man and was always on the go. He was never one to sit for long, unless he was working, holding one of his adored grandchildren or in a meeting regarding the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve. We celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary recently and Clem would have had his 70th birthday on April 19,” said Pat.
Clem’s children attended Mondeor High School and he served for over 10 years as Treasurer of the School’s Finance Committee and Chairperson of the Governing body. “He was a man of honour. He managed the school’s finances and put financial policies in place that continue to help the school today. He was also instrumental in bringing about the changes that resulted in the school opening its doors to all races in 1995”, said Van Nicolau, Principal of Mondeor High School.
Clem worked for Hochfeld Commodities and then Hi-Pak as Financial Director and latterly for Bidvest in the Tax Division where he was still employed when he died. A greater family man there never was and his daughter Bev, said, “Dad had two loves, his family and the nature reserve/ conservation. He was a very gentle man with a simple soul and enjoyed nothing better than spending time with his family. All our holidays were spent in either the Kruger National Park or other nature parks.
“One memory we’ll always have of dad, come rain or shine, he always made sure there was cold drinks and beers for the walkers in the nature reserve after they had finished,” smiled Bev.
“Clem had an unbelievable work ethic and he worked incredible hours. He shunned materialistic goods and never watched TV, unless there was a programme on about conservation or nature. He lived his life as a conservationist and made sure we all recycled. He also made sure the garden was planted only with indigenous plants and trees. You would struggle to find a rose bush in our gardens!” said Pat
Known for his silent and quiet deeds and compassionate help, Clem assisted many people throughout his life. “He was such a caring man and if he could help, he would,” Bev added.
A close friend of the family, Bradley, who now lives in Perth Australia said, “As a child I spent many weekends walking in the Klipriversberg Nature Reserve. I also spent many weekends at Mr Kourie’s house, being a close friend of his daughter Bev. I have such fond memories of Mr Kourie. He was such a good man and will be missed by many. My condolences to all who had their lives touched by him.”
“We were so sad to hear the news of your beloved Clem. I know that at a time like this, no words can console you. Just to let you know we are praying and thinking of you all and pray God fills you all with peace, strength and comfort during this tough time,” said Dennis and Felicity O’Donnell (Joseph).
“I was really shocked and saddened to hear the news, so unexpected. Clem and I go back a long way. We worked together for a very long time. He added value to everything I did at Hochfeld/ Hi-Pak and vice versa. We made a good team and I was lucky enough to continue our working relationship when I moved to Bidvest, where he created more value and found a home, as taxing as it might have been. He had a wonderful sense of humour, smiled a lot and made people around him smile and banter too,” added Jack (and Sally) Hochfeld.
A man of nature
Clem was part of the Mondeor Koppies Association established in 1981 and renamed the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve Association (KNRA) in 1984. As such, he has served continuously on the Executive committee of the KNRA for over 30 years up to his death on April 7; he was an office bearer for most of this period in the capacity as Treasurer and later as Chairman from 2005 to 2012.
He had intimate knowledge of the KNR, notably on its history (and many well remember him for the guided history walks he took) but also on many other topics such as its plants.
“In his tenure as member of the Executive Committee, he has spearheaded and supported numerous critical initiatives in the interest of conservation in the Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve and surrounds. He was foremost in establishing an effective liaison between KNRA and the City of Johannesburg and Johannesburg City Park (now JCP and JohannesburgZoo). This relationship is critical to the management of the Reserve and ensured continuous dialogue even at times of great adversity.
“He led the successful campaign against the establishment of the Police Communications Mast in the Reserve, which would have compromised the integrity of the Nature Reserve and spoilt the scenery in one of the most beautiful areas of the Reserve and he successfully championed the campaign to move the Petronet multipurpose liquid fuel pipeline so that it had minimal impact on the KNR,” said Morné Brits, chairman of Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve.
Morné went on to say, “He dedicated considerable periods of time to expanding the boundaries of the KNR, with the specific aim of including key areas of natural vegetation into the conservation area. Many of these key areas are yet to be incorporated. Nonetheless, during his tenure the Reserve expanded from 450 hectares to 680 hectares.
“Over the years, he gave great financial and administrative structure to the KNRA. This showed in aspects such as the registration of the KNRA as NGO and NPO, the improvement and re-writing of the KNRA constitution and the establishment of the KNRA business plan. His guidance in dealing with officialdom and members of the public was core the many of the successful KNRA ventures undertaken,” concluded Morné.
He will be greatly remembered for being a man of honour, his uncompromising integrity and impeccable work ethic. He was somewhat set in his ways, but stoic in his dedication, a hard worker and passionate about his beliefs, notably the importance of environmental conservation.
He leaves his wife Pat, daughter Bev and son-in-law Danie and their two children, Matthew and Megan; daughter Jenny and her son Kyle; son Brian and his wife Claire and their children, Taylor and Jordan, and two brothers, Professor Derrick Kourie and Dr Terrence Kourie.
A long standing member of St John Bosco Catholic Church in Robertsham, a requiem mass was held for him on Saturday April 12.
