Adieu to maintenance stalwart

Nikolaas Klaasen (right in photo) said farewell to his colleagues in the student housing department in July after 38 years' service to UCT. Speaking after a lunch at the Baxter Hall in his honour, Klaasen said the campus had changed considerably since he joined as a fresh-faced maintenance man almost four decades ago. "I worked in the carpentry shop and remember the days when the university was for whites only. Today, it's a different story." Retirement, Klaasen said, was something he had prepared for. He was looking forward to joining his wife, Helena, at home in Retreat. Both are involved in church work in their community. He also planned to dust off some of his own carpentry projects. "And I also like to watch rugby," he said, looking forward to a season of plenty: the Currie Cup season and start of the Tri-Nations. He was photographed in the Baxter Hall diningroom with colleagues Grant Willis (middle), deputy director of student housing, and John Peters, maintenance manager.