There was not a dry eye in sight at the memorial celebration of the late Rocklands High Principal Nigel Pelston.
Pelston, 59, who passed away last week, served the schooling community for over 35 years.
The second memorial service was held at Rocklands High yesterday where Pelston was principal since 2016.
The first was held at Mondale High School on Tuesday, where he started teaching in 1990.
A candle was lit in memory of Pelston, who started the tradition at the school.
“You started this tradition, never did we think we would be lighting a candle for you,” hartseer educator Andrew Petersen said.
Rocklands High deputy principal Francois Nekosie remembered the first time he interacted with Pelston in 2016.
“At the time I was acting principal, so when he walked in I offered him the chair to sit, he said no, you sit and lead this meeting.
“That was the person he was, he knew it would take working together to get to the vision he had for the school.”
Everyone was also reminded of Pelston’s famous encouragement for pupils: “Walk and talk like you have an appointment with the future.”
Tissues came out when a rendition of Pelton’s favourite song, Bridge over troubled water, was sung.
Pelston’s younger sister Aneeka Jacobs says her Boeta knew exactly what he wanted to achieve in life.
“The famous quote of Nelson Mandela that ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’ is what Nigel believed, he knew that education could empower a community and that is why he loved what he was doing.
“I remember when we were kids, in our household all we would play is skooltjie-skooltjie, and even though it requires you to change your roles every now and then, Nigel would not, he always wanted to be the principal.