Professor Anton le Roex (1953–2025)

8 November 1953–9 January 2025

The University of Cape Town (UCT) community mourns the passing of retired professor Anton le Roex, who died on Thursday, 9 January, after a long battle with cancer.

Professor le Roex spent more than three decades in his academic home – the Faculty of Science – and was based in the Department of Mineralogy and Geology, which was later renamed the Department of Geological Sciences. He served as the dean of the faculty from 2011 to 2017. During his tenure, he established a faculty research review, which involved several local and international scholars, who were tasked with providing input on how best to leverage UCT’s strengths and geographical advantage to make better use of its resources to ultimately maximise the university’s impact and profile.

As the inaugural head of the Department of Geological Sciences, he spent 15 years at the helm and served the faculty in other capacities too, which included deputy dean. In addition to his teaching and research activities, le Roex held numerous other administrative posts. He was a member of Senate, a faculty student advisor and was elected to several science faculty standing committees.

Le Roex was an acclaimed scientist in the petrology and geochemistry of igneous rocks from the oceans. He participated in many research cruises to the Atlantic and Indian oceans and continents. He authored over 100 research papers and chapters in scientific journals and other publications. He also conducted several seminal studies of rocks from the Mid-Atlantic, Southwest Indian and American-Antarctic mid-ocean ridges, as well as still-authoritative studies of the petrology and geochemistry of volcanic rocks from the islands of Tristan da Cunha, Gough and Marion and Prince Edward. He retired from UCT in 2019.

His academic legacy lives on in the many honours, master’s and PhD students, as well as postdoctoral fellows whom he mentored over the years and who have now gone on to become prominent researchers in the field both locally and internationally. His colleagues have described him as a highly capable teacher with a legendary work ethic and dedication to UCT.

Le Roex is survived by his wife, Sue; children, grandchildren and many friends and colleagues at this university.