Community remembers a local legend
BLAIRGOWRIE – Long-time friends and family paid their respects after the passing of David Hubble, at a funeral service held at Christ Church in Blairgowrie on 7 January.
Long-time friends and family paid their respects after the passing of David Hubble, at a funeral service held at Christ Church in Blairgowrie on 7 January.
Tributes poured in from all walks of life for the renowned Randburg institution that was David Hubble, who passed away at the age of 80 on 31 December 2019.
“He wasn’t looking very well when we closed the company for Christmas, but his passing came as a shock. He was joyful and humorous right until the very end. We were all so close to him and he will be truly missed,” said long-time staff member Nola Sutherland.
Born in Sidcup, England, he grew up through humble beginnings and grew his entrepreneurial skills at a young age by selling eggs to his neighbours, and eventually starting a delicatessen of his own.
He moved to South Africa in the early 70s, where the real estate bug bit him hard.
After working at a few estate agencies and making a few friends along the way, he decided to try his hands at growing his own business, and David Hubble Estates was founded on 1 July 1977 on Barkston Drive in Blairgowrie.
Hubble was an avid athlete who ran with the Randburg Harriers and competed in the Comrades Marathon, Two Oceans Marathon and London Marathon for charity.
“It was a complete shock. He truly loved all the people he interacted with. My grandmother has lived in this area for many years and had known David all that time. She always said to me, David never forgot my name, even if we never saw each other for ages. She even referred to him as the ‘mayor of Blairgowrie’,” said staff member Jay-Leigh Erasmus.
Ward 102 councillor David Potter, who worked for David Hubble Estates in his younger years said, “David Hubble is a household name in the suburb of Blairgowrie and surrounds. Having known him for a good few years, his heart was big.
“He cared greatly for his community, knew the name of nearly every resident he had previously engaged with, and was instrumental in ensuring a safer Blairgowrie by funding a community organisation that provided street patrols and other ancillary services. May his legacy live on and inspire others to care about the detail, as David did.”
The estate agency has been successfully running for 43 years and is still going strong without Hubble at the helm.
Another long-time staff member Pat Harris said, “This is a massive loss for our community and hearing the news of David’s passing was completely devastating.
“Over the years, our agency has sold thousands of homes from Blairgowrie to Randpark Ridge. We as an agency are determined to keep the same heart and drive that David had to truly be a part of the community that we serve and continue to work and live in his legacy.”
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