Former SA boxer Gerrie de Bruyn has died at the age of 75.
De Bruyn passed away due to suspected heart and kidney failure, at the Life Roseacres Clinic, in Primrose, on Saturday, March 8.
De Bruyn gained fame by fighting the likes of Buster Mathis, Mike Holt, Billy Lotter and Jimmy Richards, in a career comprising more than 30 professional fights. He won most of his fights by knockout.
As an amateur he was trained by Gerrie Nel, at the Primrose Club. Nel saw great potential in the young de Bruyn when he saw him fighting in the streets one day.
He was still a novice when he beat Johnny van der Kolff, who had won a gold medal at the 1954 Commonwealth Games in Vancouver.
A three times SA amateur champion, he received his South African colours in1958.
He went on to represent SA in London in 1963.
De Bruyn was regarded as too young to represent SA at the 1956 Olympics but, two years later, won a bronze medal in the light-heavyweight class at the Commonwealth Games, in Cardiff.
He was eliminated by Tony Madigan of Australia, who went on to win the gold medal.
De Bruyn won SA amateur titles in 1957, 1958 and 1959.
In only his fifth professional fight, he faced Mike Holt, an experienced former SA middleweight champion, who then held the national light-heavyweight title.
Holt won on points, in a match that lasted over 10 rounds.
When they fought in a return match for the SA light-heavyweight title in 1962, de Bruyn was stopped in the 12th round.
In September, 1964, Billy Lotter knocked him out in the fifth round, but, after winning six of his next eight fights, de Bruyn fought Lotter again, for the SA heavyweight title, and won on a seventh-round knockout.
He made five successful defences before losing the title to Japie Pretorius in June, 1969.
De Bruyn had four more fights, winning two and losing twice to Jimmy Richards, before he retired with a record of 23-12-3, including 17 wins inside the distance.
But, de Bruyn’s toughest fight was yet to begin.
Due to a back injury he sustained through a scaffolding accident on a building site, in 1970, de Bruyn was forced to spend more than 40 years in a wheelchair.
While he recovered in hospital he took up archery and this gave him something to focus on during his recovery.
De Bruyn met his wife, Letty, in church, in Primrose, when she moved from Durban to play the church’s organ.
The couple was married in 1996.
“We enjoyed going on holiday and walking along the Durban beach front,” said Letty.
“Someone would always recognise Gerrie, no matter where we went.”
Despite being in a wheel chair for nearly 44 years, de Bruyn remained a friendly, approachable man, who attended many tournaments and social functions, always ready with a smile and a firm handshake.
“He was described as a gentleman in the ring,” added Letty.
His funeral service was held at the Elshammah Church, in Germiston, on Friday.
