Eleanor Bremner's life of service

FRIENDS and family gathered in Durban’s city centre yesterday to celebrate the life of Eleanor Bremner, a well-known volunteer at the Dennis Hurley Centre.

She passed away earlier this month at the age of 90.

Bremner’s son, Trevor L’tang, said his mother had recently fallen ill and had been living with him in Pietermaritzburg for the past few months.

He described her as an inspirational and well-liked person, a “people’s person”, who was always determined to serve the community.

“I think she was fiercely determined to achieve her objectives, even when they were at odds with society. And she had strong opinions about life,” he said.

L’tang described her as feisty and independent, recalling how, in her 60s, she bravely trekked more than 3,000km across Australia — alone, from Perth to Sydney — to attend the Olympic Games in 2000.

Born in Johannesburg, Bremner was a seamstress who moved to KwaZulu-Natal after marrying a man from Durban.

She became one of the longest-serving volunteers at the Dennis Hurley Centre, where she was active for many years. However, she did not return after the Covid-19 pandemic, said L’tang.

Paying tribute, the centre’s director, Dr Raymond Perrier, described her as “a fixture of the community and of the DHC.”

L’tang added that during her time living in Wentworth, Bremner had also been an environmental activist in the Durban South Basin.

At one stage former Durban mayor, Mike Lipschitz, presented her with a certificate of recognition for her service to the community. 

She is survived by her three sons, two in KZN and one in Australia, as well as five grandchildren.