Remembering a community stalwart

A man of varied interests, deep conscience for his fellow man and community, and hands on thinker is what the community of Greenside will remember him as.

Pengelly studied at Rhodes University where he studied theology, and developed his informed and classic rational approach to opportunities and challenges.

It was also at the university where he met his wife Jenny whom he cherished and championed throughout his life.

He held deep beliefs as a young man in the fearless Rev Beyers Naudé-led Christian Institute of Southern Africa. Pengelly became a writer of opinion pieces for issues he was addressing, be it solutions to social, technical, educational or traffic matters. Many of these thoughts he shared through his weekly column in The Star.

In his community role, Pengelly was a doer who tackled a challenge in deed as much as in word. He would undertake traffic studies to inform residents about options being considered by the roads agency and question the siting of filling stations.

The community have him to thank for the non-closure of Napier Road in Richmond and numerous other local issues in the past decades.

Pengelly ran a duct cleaning enterprise, servicing some of the city’s landmarks such as the Carlton Centre and numerous restaurants in Gauteng. He made an art of such a business and built a team that competed with the best.

He served as chairman of the DA in Parkview, the Greenside Residents Association and other community-related civil society formations.

Pengelly loved to cook lunch and share a glass of wine with friends.

“I am really broken by the death of my husband,” said his wife Jenny. “He was a great man and will always remember him by what his friends and community members called him – The mayor.”

He is survived by his wife and three daughters, Melissa, Emma and Rachel – the apples of his eye.