On 12 July, a remarkable human being passed away after an impressive life of meaning, giving, and nurturing. On the morning of 20 July, I attended the service of Celebrating a Wonderful Life of John Hess, where I came under the impression of a human being who walked with women. His walk with women was not only evident in the tributes by his friend and wife but also the sermon and music during this moving moment of “re-membering” him. It was at St. George’s Cathedral that I first heard the phrase “re-member” coined by Prof. Russel Botman, paying tribute to Johnny Issel, a son of the African soil and liberation stalwart. The meaning of the word ‘remember’ deepens with the addition of a hyphen. It becomes more than an intellectual act. “Re-membering” becomes an act of community and communion. In this regard, the person being re-membered becomes a member with us as we gather – again and again. Their legacies remembered again and again.

We re-member John Hess and Russel Botman when we see their daughters, the women whose lives they influenced enormously. These women contribute tremendously to our society through their careers in chemical engineering, international relations, forestry science, human resource development, music, and filmmaking. These women, under the influence of Hess and Botman, are women we revere, women who inspire us across generations to be human beings who contribute to changing the world for the better.

Hess and Botman valued granting women, in particular, bursary opportunities to complete their higher education qualifications. The Russel Botman Bursary Fund wishes to thank John Hess, a great supporter, and his family for inviting mourners to donate to the Bursary Fund instead of flowers. We are grateful for the new donors who gave generously to the next generation of students at Stellenbosch University.

We salute these men, Hess and Botman, who continue to walk with women.