Clive Barker’s sons remember him as ‘patriotic South African’

His son, John Barker, says this came through in how passionately his father always spoke about South Africa and his dedication to it. 

He was speaking at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban on Thursday, where an official provincial funeral service for Barker took place.

He passed away in a Durban hospital on Saturday after a battle with Lewy Body Dementia.

John says even in his final hours, his father was able to remain optimistic.

"Besides being a great family man and soccer coach, he other great passion was for South Africa and the people of South Africa. He was so patriotic, and this again was true with the doctors and nurses who looked after him. 

"They all remarked at how amazing he was and how positive he was right up until the end. He asked them questions, he wanted to know about their lives even though he was lying in bed. 

"He was just the most incredible, positive person and even those doctors and nurses said they couldn't believe how he had touched their lives in such a short space in time."

Barker's other son, Gavin shared an anecdote linked to the funeral venue.

"In 1982, Durban City won the league and to celebrate they wanted to come and watch a movie called 'Escape To Victory', and under apartheid laws the coloured and Black players that were in the team weren't allowed to watch. 

"So they made a special arrangement that on a Sunday, Durban City would come and watch that movie and I believe they were small things and my father played a role in breaking down those barriers so that we got rid of the evil of apartheid and that 14 years later he coached a team to win the nation's cup and it really was a rainbow team and all those players that will continue with his legacy as coaches, I just want to say thank you."