“I never imagined that day on my honeymoon, when my husband said ‘This is where we’re going to be living,’ that here I would still be here so many years later,” said Shirley Evans who is leaving Damant Lodge after 20 years, and Port Alfred after nearly 70. Friends and fellow residents gathered in the lounge at the retirement home last Thursday for a farewell tea. Shirley’s husband Malcolm passed away in 2021, after 63 years of marriage, and Shirley, who is 91, is going to live near her daughter, Linda, in Kloof, inland of Durban.
Since 1985, Shirley has been hands on as a valued volunteer in various community projects. One of them was reporting on municipal affairs for Talk of the Town.
As a member of the Women’s Agricultural Association, she supported efforts to establish the Sunshine Coast SAPS K9 unit and the town’s first private ambulance service, and to establish and maintain Kelly’s Beach as a Blue Flag beach.
More recently, Shirley was half of the editorial team of the centre’s newsletter, ‘What was up at Damant Lodge’.
Board chairperson Ross Purdon spoke warmly of Shirley.
“Together with her late husband Malcolm, Shirley made an enormous contribution to our special home,” he said.
For many years, Malcolm had served on the board and had the maintenance portfolio.
“He and Jono Riddin struck up a wonderful working relationship and Jono is still doing a sterling job today,” Purdon said.
“Twenty years surely qualifies you to be our unofficial head girl, Shirley!” he said, and went on to read an extract from Shirley’s memoir.
“Shirley pays tribute to Malcom but modestly doesn’t mention her own incredible contribution,” Purdon said.
She had assisted councillor Louise Swanepoel for many years.
“I can remember her taking minutes to make sure that sensistive resolutions and decisions were captured correctly.”
Purdon said Damant Lodge and the Port Alfred community would miss Shirley terribly and asked her “one last favour”: to lead a short song that residents used to sing at their community events”
Bless this house, oh Lord we pray;
Make it safe by night and day.
Bless these walls so firm and stout, keeping want and troubkle out.
Bless the folk who dwell within; keep them pure and free from sin.
Bless us all that we may be fit oh Lord to dwell with thee.
Purdon had earlier read an excerpt from Shirley’s memoir: “In 1957, my husband Malcolm Evans brought me to Port Alfred on honeymoon (and to meet his 99-year-old grandfather, a former mayor of Port Alfred, Kenneth Stewart.) Standing on West beach (in front of what is now Guido’s) he broke the news that Port Alfred was where we would retire one day!”
That was in 1985.
“Port Alfred has been wonderful,” Shirley said afterwards. “But this isn’t sad: I’m not sad,” she said.
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This article was first published in Talk of the Town, March 20, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
