John Michael Rolfe (1959–2023)

13 March 1959–15 August 2023

One of the permanent marks left at the University of Cape Town (UCT) by Mr John Michael Rolfe, who passed away on 15 August 2023, is the software that he wrote in 2004, which is still used for the UCT Mathematics Competition.

Mr Rolfe’s (64) last role at UCT was as principal technical officer in the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics. He joined UCT as a technical officer in 1995. A year later, he was promoted to senior technical officer. He continued to rise through the ranks and was again promoted to chief technical officer in 1997.

He left UCT in 2009 and was on disability at the time of his passing.

Mr Rolfe will be remembered by most colleagues as an acerbic, caustic, witty, and wildly funny individual. He was extremely generous and courageous. There have been some difficult times in the department where he came out as a pillar of strength. He was a smart man who enjoyed discussions about all sorts of things. When the mood took him, he would be the most meticulous person ever.

He had a great sense of humour. His boisterous presence will ever be missed.

Mr Rolfe had one relative, a sister named Elizabeth, who passed away in New Zealand in 2013.