IAN TURNER BARRON 12 May 1935 - 20 June 2026 

It was with great sadness that we inform ODs and the Bishops community of the passing of Ian Turner Barron (1952S).

Ian passed away peacefully on Saturday 20 June 2026.

Ian was a prefect in School House.

He was a Lance-Corporal in the Cadet Corps, and was awarded 2nd XV Colours.

After a career in farming, Ian and Margaret moved to Hermanus for their retirement as residents at Berg ‘n See.

In the words of a colleage and friend, Ian was one of nature's finest gentlemen and an example to all of us and worthy of being an exemplar to every OD. 

The ODU and Bishops send their heartfelt condolences to the family, to Ian's wife, Margaret, daughter Ann and her husband Ron, and son John and his wife and grandchildren.

RIP Ian Barron!

We include the following which is the tribute from John, his son:

Tribute to Dad; 26 th June 2026 (by John Barron).

"Good morning all, and a warm welcome to family and friends who have joined us today to mourn Dad's passing away. It is a sad time for us - we are frequently reminded; and beginning to gradually accept; that he is no longer with us in person. However, in this section of the service there is an opportunity to also look back over his life, remind ourselves of his life’s journey, his interests and achievements, but also to reflect on the way in which he interacted with many of us and the lasting impression he frequently left.  Dad wouldn’t have minded an “apologies for absence” section at this point, as I know there are many members of family, friends and colleagues who are unable to join us today but would have liked to have been here. They are thinking of us today and many have passed on condolences and poignant
recollections to Mum, Anne and I and the family. If I may just call out in particular Dad’s two sisters, Louine and Suto, who are not here with us today but have known Dad the longest of all, they have sent a special message which is on Dads coffin today during the service.

Dad, Grandpa, Ian, Uncle Ian, Mr Barron to some, or indeed BarronGomo to others -  was   born in 1935 in what was then Southern Rhodesia, to Fred and Mildred. Fred Barron was the owner of the farm Gomo, a then fairly undeveloped stretch on land between Banket and Mutoroshanga, and Dad spent many of his early years happily exploring around the farm and also became a fluent Chinyanja speaker. Dad’s school years were initially at Ruzawi school, where he had many happy memories of the teachers, camping trips and exploring the numerous kopjies. For senior school he attended Bishops here in Cape Town, and again most of his stories were of the rugby, the school holidays and the four day journey by steam train to and from school.

He never did talk too much about the school work!  After leaving school Dad did his national service and also went to Gwebi agricultural college. His stories of his national service mostly revolved around the places he experienced, the people he served with, and he was quietly proud of playing for the army for a number of games, including a warm up game against the French national rugby team who were on tour – he referred to it as an excuse to get the weekend off in town.  He joined his father on Gomo in 1958, and was married to Margaret in 1963. He was a devoted partner to Mum, with whom he enjoyed over 60 years of married life together, jointly taking on the numerous twists and turns of living in Africa, before finally settling here in Hermamus in 2003. My sister Anne and I both grew up on the farm, and I was fortunate to be able to farm with Dad for 9 years before we had to leave the farm in 2002. Dad was a lot of things to the many people he crossed paths with. However, at heart he was foremost a farmer.

We know a lot about these times as Dad eventually wrote a book entitled “The story of Gomo”, which I think not only helped him come to terms with being moved off the farm, but also now gives us his family, children and grand children, a wonderful record and insight into the farm and our recent family history. While it was mainly an arable farming business, I think his true passion became the Mashona cattle and the Mashona Cattle society. I will always remember his way with the cattle – it was always very calm, no sticks or shouting – just gentle persuasion. But no fence jumpers tolerated. Secondly, he was a conservationist. He loved preserving the trees, the wildlife and the soil. We were fortunate that by nature of the farm only around half of it was arable, and the rest he tried to leave as close to how nature intended it to be. He was always very proud that the boundaries of the farm could be clearly seen from the air due to the density of trees on Gomo compared to the neighbouring farms. He was just as happy pegging out contours to control the runoff, as he was listening to the birds or saving the tree orchards which then abounded in his garden. He felt greatly honoured to be invited to join the Natural Resources Board of Zimbabwe – although the timing did not work out given the loss of the farm and the move to Hermanus. 

Dad was a Community man. He was a strong supporter of the farming community and was often serving on multiple boards or committees at any one time. If I pick just one example it would be this one: he was a council member of the Air Cured Tobacco Association which represented all growers of this type of tobacco, and led the organisation itself as its president for three years in the late nineties. He was most proud of the work of the Association as it was ahead of its time in bringing together all races and types of farmers into one union, and it established grower ownership as a principal in building its tobacco auction floors in Mutare and Harare. Dad was regularly elected back into office to represent the thousands of growers in Lomagundi district of Zimbabwe, the great majority of whom neither looked nor spoke like him – but his way with all people ensured he was the one entrusted to represent them. 

Dad was a family man. Dad was a loving father to Anne and I and he will be forever in our thoughts and hearts. For both Mum and Dad, a good education was something they were determined to give Anne and I the opportunity to have, and for this we remain very
grateful. We will miss him for his grandchildren, Grandpa will be remembered for his own special ways of teaching them from a young age some subtle lessons: about making fire to boil the kettle for ‘tea in the bush’, how to use an axe without cutting your foot off; and
indeed his own blend of “Grandpa muti” when they got hurt.

As they grew older he was always happy to keep up with the grandchildren’s achievements; in which he was always very proud. He could often be found following them around the country to watch their various sporting endeavours when he could. He maintained a very special bond with his two sisters and their families, and will be fondly remembered there too. Dad was a regular member of the St Peter’s congregation here in Hermanus, and drew great strength from his Christian faith. It was a simple faith, his views on which he never pressed on others.

However, particularly in his last few years when he was coming to terms with the end of his time here with us, he would say that he was ‘looking forward to meeting his maker’ and was at ease with this next transition. What I knew less about was Dad’s role, among with others, in the developing of the vision, followed by the fund raising, building and maintenance of the multi denomination church built in Banket in the 70’s, which he regularly attended and where he served as church warden for a number of years. 

Dad loved his games. He was a regular in the front row for the Banket Rugby club before eventually settling on playing in the local farming area croquet league.

He was latterly an enthusiastic member of the hermanus croquet and bowls players too."