Cape Town, South Africa

Robert Katz         1923 - 2014         Obituary

Robert Katz, of Westport, Connecticut passed away peacefully at age 90 at Norwalk Hospital, Connecticut on Sunday, May 25th from complications of Alzheimer’s Disease. He was born in Fauresmith, Orange Free State, South Africa on September 23rd, 1923, the beloved son of the late August and Frieda (Prager) Katz. Robert grew up in Fauresmith and Cape Town, South Africa. During World War II he served as an air mechanic, air mechanic instructor, and non-commissioned officer in the South African Air Force. He was awarded the Africa Service Medal in 1944. At age 21 he graduated from the University of Cape Town (UCT) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, and was appointed assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at UCT. He also designed factory machinery and worked for the Engineering Department of the Cape Town City Council from 1945 to 1948. While at the Council he designed and built a pavilion at the City Hall for the 1947 visit to Cape Town of King George VI, Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) and the Princesses Margaret and Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth). He later became a partner in a construction company, and then started his own company, Robert Katz Construction Company in 1956, heading the company until he left South Africa in 1978. With over 1,000 employees, the company constructed factories, apartment and office buildings, schools, shopping centers, theaters, clinics, an ice rink, and housing developments throughout the Cape Town area. Robert did his own architectural design work, and the ultra-modern house he built for his family in 1957 was featured in Architect and Builder magazine. Robert invented and patented many time- and cost-saving construction techniques that he applied within his own company and also sold under license to companies in South Africa and abroad. These include a number of prefabrication techniques, including System Katz and Rapid Beam Formwork. He also created a system for industrializing the construction of hyperbolic paraboloid shell roofs that enabled their durable steel forms to be built rapidly. He developed a system for building portable homes constructed of precast concrete panels that were then transported to the building site. His system could put up a house in six hours, and construct eight apartments per day. During this time he also lectured at the University of Cape Town Business School, and took part in government budget symposia and economic conferences both in South Africa and abroad. He informally assisted Robert F. Kennedy in preparing his speech, given at UCT in 1966. During the dark days of Apartheid, he was always kind and compassionate towards his employees, regardless of race. In 1978 Robert and his family immigrated to the United States, settling in Westport, CT. There he worked as a consultant to the Major Building Corporation. During the energy crisis, he started his own company, Energy Cost Cutters, offering energy saving measures for residential and commercial buildings. Later, he teamed up with Zerelmy, a company that renovated government buildings in Washington, DC. In 1950 he married Ray Kriger, who had just qualified as a lawyer in Cape Town. Robert was a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather who enjoyed telling family stories, relaxing at the beach, traveling throughout Europe, and spending time with his family. In his youth he was a long distance runner and tennis player. His many interests included history, archaeology, classical music, art, architecture, science, technology and cosmology. Above all was his devotion to family. He is survived by his loving wife, Ray, of Westport, CT, his brother Wally Katz and wife Esther of Herzlia, Israel, his children Amanda and her husband Isadore Jermyn of Longmeadow, MA, Joanne and her husband Scott Zeger of Baltimore, MD, Anton of New York City, Adrian and his wife Dana of Weston, CT, and grandchildren Eva, Michael and Adam Jermyn, Max and David Zeger, Mia, Noah, Ty, Jonathan and Lara Katz. He was predeceased by his sister Tillie Katz of Afula, Israel. The family wishes to thank his devoted caregivers, Linda, Anne-Marie and Doreen.  The funeral was held at Congregation Agudath Sholom cemetery in Stamford, CT on Sunday, May 25th. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, the Lown Foundation or the American Heart Association. 

Ray Kriger Katz

Ray Kriger Katz was born in Rokiskis, Lithuania on March 10th, 1929, daughter of the late Philip Kriger (Pesach Tsvi  Kruk) and Riva (Kavalsky) Kriger. In 1931 Ray immigrated with her family to Cape Town, South Africa. While studying law at the University of Cape Town she was elected to the Students Representative Council (SRC), became treasurer of the Law Society, and was elected Head Woman Student.  She was a founder and chairperson of the university’s Liberal Party. Ray was on the Executive of the National Union of South African Students (NUSAS) which oversaw the rights of students and worked towards including black students, who were excluded from membership under the Nationalist Apartheid government, as members of the Union. Ray started the NUSAS Loan Fund Scheme to help poor black students pay university fees and served on various other NUSAS committees. She graduated from the University of Cape Town with a law degree in 1950. At the time of her admission to the Bar to practice law as an advocate (barrister) there were only a handful of women advocates in South Africa, but none practicing in Cape Town, and she began her criminal law practice amidst much discrimination against women in the profession.  In addition, she taught English and Latin in the night schools established for black students to obtain their school leaving certificates. She also taught English to Polish ex-servicemen after World War II. In 1950 Ray married Robert Katz, a civil engineer with his own construction company in Cape Town.  Later Ray did administrative work for her husband’s company, and, because of her superb organizational and leadership skills, was much in demand by various charitable institutions. She was elected to the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, helped found the Jewish Welfare Council, served on the B’Noth Zion Executive, Magen David Adom and WIZO. For many years she served as president of Highlands House, the home for the Jewish aged in Cape Town. As its first woman president, she cleaned up corruption and instituted organizational reforms that improved the daily lives of the residents. In 1978 Ray and her family immigrated to the United States and settled in Westport, Connecticut. There she provided administrative help for her husband’s companies.