EQUINE | Remembering John Fleming
Remembering
John Fleming
From Maggie Fleming
John was born on the 26th August, 1938 in Salisbury
now Harare. He went to Plumtree School at 12 years old.
A special friend from those days and thereafter
remembers the many happy and amusing occasions
they spent together. The time they secretly made
pineapple beer, the first bottle of which, when opened,
gushed into John’s face, causing great mirth. Also in the
fifth year at school the secret which John had kept all
those years was discovered that one of his names was
“Pomfret.” Thereafter he was called “Pomf” – no other
name was considered as better suiting him. “He was
loved by all. His humour, ever joking occasioned at times
by his lusty singing, provided such company.”
John was a good sportsman in his day playing 1st Team
cricket and rugby at school and University and also
enjoying water polo, squash and tennis.
After matriculating he went to UCT for 2 years and
then on to Onderstepoort. After qualifying he moved
to the UK for a short while and then to Vegreville near
Edmonton in Alberta Canada where he worked in a
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large animal practice for 2 years. On returning from
Canada he started his own small and large practice in
Marandellas Zimbabwe. In his spare time he was still
playing rugby, cricket, squash and tennis and played
prop for his local Marandellas club at the age of 39!
In 1978 he moved to Hillcrest Kwa Zulu Natal and joined
Baker and Du Preez’s practice in Summerveld. He
married Maggie in 1981. She fortunately enjoyed sport
as much as he did! They were able to have wonderful
Rugby World Cup trips with friends to Scotland and
France coupled with much laughter and a few whiskies
but almost without exception hilarious incidents. They
had the dubious honour of only seeing the second half
of the Boks game in Paris when they went to the wrong
stadium, this after both wives took French lessons at
great expense in order to secure instructions to get to
the game!!
John was made a Honorary Life Member of the Kloof and
Highway SPCA and in 1987 became a member of the
Kloof Lions Club. H e loved to sing and was a member
with Maggie of the Hillcrest Holy Trinity Church choir.
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