NEWS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
In memory of
Roger Lassen and Peter Smith
I
n a matter of six weeks apart, two leaders in
the commercial refrigeration sector passed
away, bringing closure to many chapters in
the history of Matador Refrigeration/Proactive
Refrigeration and the Smith family.
Roger Theodore Lassen (born 21 July 1949)
passed away in his sleep on Friday, 18 August
2017 while returning to Cape Town on the Rovos
Rail after a long dreamed-of holiday. Six weeks
later, Peter Smith (born 6 July 1945), passed
away on Friday, 6 October 2017 after a battle
with cancer.
Roger and Peter had worked together for
many years at Matador Refrigeration, with Ron
Marshall at the helm, but when the company
was later sold after Marshall’s retirement, Roger
as well as Peter and his son Merrick decided to
leave the company to join forces as Proactive
Refrigeration.
Working from Roger’s home, with years of
experience and a strong relationship with the
Pick ‘n Pay supermarket group, the company
continued to expand to its present structure with
a staff complement of 134 and a branch
in Durban.
Peter and his brother Paddy both started their
careers in refrigeration at Marshalls Refrigeration
in Durban. Roger started his career with
Columbit, which at the time owned Matador,
and later he was promoted to service manager
and then general manager of the Western
Cape region.
Peter moved to Electronic Air in Durban
and later joined Vic Southern at Sol Air in White
River. Merrick left home for the army and told
his parents that on his return from the army,
By John Ackermann
he would settle in Cape Town. Peter, his wife,
and son Jared then moved to Cape Town and
joined the engineering department of Matador
in 1989. On his return from the army and after
completing a course in marketing, Merrick joined
Matador Refrigeration in Parow in 1993.
From its small beginning in 1998, Proactive
Refrigeration has grown in leaps and bounds
with Roger and Peter as the fatherly figures.
“Their expertise and high regard by staff and
management of Pick ‘n Pay have been an
inspiration to us all and strengthened the family
at Proactive Refrigeration. It was their leadership
and high standard of workmanship that has
brought pride and a strong family spirit among
all our staff,” said Merrick.
Roger’s outgoing and fun-loving personality
was contrasted with the reserved nature of
Peter; together, they formed a formidable team.
Whenever meeting the trio of Peter, Roger,
and Paddy, one could sense the strong bond
between them; their camaraderie and passion
for the industry evident by an ever-willingness to
support industry events.
Roger and Peter both released the reigns at
Proactive Refrigeration feeling assured that their
legacy would continue under the leadership
of Merrick.
With many honourable memories, I salute two
icons of commercial refrigeration in South Africa.
May Roger and Peter both rest in peace after
well-spent lives and many lasting footprints in
the sand.
Our condolences to Susanna Smith, Paddy,
Jackie Isaacs, Merrick, Jared (in Doha), and their
families. CLA
Roger Theodore Lassen (born 21 July 1949) passed away in his sleep on
Friday, 18 August 2017.
Peter Smith (born 6 July 1945), passed away on Friday, 6 October 2017
after a battle with cancer.
COLD LINK AFRICA • January | February 2018
www.coldlinkafrica.co.za
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