Chairman of TuksClub 60+ Louis Martin Cloete passed away on 5 April 2021 after having lived a meaningful and productive life. He served as Chairman of the alumni club between 2013 and 2021. Louis had a soft spot for his alma mater, and from 2020 he also served on the Convocation Advisory Board, immediately volunteering for one of the sub-committees.

His wife, Annette, was always by his side and played her part in making TuksClub 60+ a success. The couple always gave back to their friends, family and the community, and will be sorely missed by their three children, their grandchildren and everyone whose lives they touched.

Louis lived by the saying, “You are never too old to set a new goal or dream a new dream.” Not content to sit and wait for something to happen, he was someone who made things happen. It was inspiring to see how enthusiastically he lived life.

In 1960, Louis set up an architectural private practice. He was a highly respected professional architect, town planner and landscape architect. He obtained master’s degrees from the University of Pretoria in Architecture (1978), Town and Regional Planning (1979) and Landscape Architecture (1989), and was awarded a British Council scholarship in 1963 and a Rotary Exchange Scholarship in 1970.

Louis travelled extensively throughout South Africa and the rest of the world, gaining valuable experience that set him apart from contemporaries in the broader disciplines of architectural and urban design.

Among many other professional and civic activities, he served a seven-year term as City Councillor of the Pretoria City Council. He was a member of the Pretoria City Council from 1988 to 1994, Deputy Mayor (1993) and Speaker (Statutory Mayor) of the Pretoria Metropolitan Substructure (1994). Louis was also a member of the Museum Park, and held the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors for 10 years. He also served a 10-year term as a council member of the Transvaal Provincial Institute of Architects and sat on the board of Afrikaans Hoër Seunskool.

Louis was a loyal and valued alumnus of the University of Pretoria and he will be missed.