Mary Roe Knowling

Mary Roe Knowling (21 October 1923 – 31 January 2013[1]) was a South African medical doctor.

She was born in Grahamstown to Arthur Knowling and Ruth Mullins. She attended the Diocesan School for Girls from 1933 to 1941. She served during World War II as a bombardier in the coastal artillery on Robben Island,[2] after which she trained as a nurse at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. After a stint as a midwife in East London and overseas travel she returned to South Africa to study medicine at University of Cape Town.[3]

She returned to her home city of Grahamstown and established a successful medical practice from 1965 to 1987. In addition to her medical work she was also a churchwarden at the Grahamstown Cathedral and spent a great deal of time and effort on the restoration of the cathedral, she was awarded membership of the Order of Simon of Cyrene in 2011 in recognition for this and other philanthropic work in Grahamstown.[4] The Sunset Rotary Club of Grahamstown named Dr Knowling its third "Citizen of the Year" in 2001.[5]

Her philanthropic work included voluntary work for:

  1. ^ "Dr Mary Knowling" (PDF). The Diocesan School for Girls. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  2. ^ Malcolm Kinghorn (July 2008). "Newsletter No 46". South African Military History Society. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  3. ^ JP van Niekerk (2009). "Class of 1959 50th reunion". UCT Alumuni. Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  4. ^ Clem Sunter (May 1998). What it really takes to be world class. Human & Rousseau. p. 148. ISBN 978-0-7981-3758-4. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  5. ^ Dumile Meintjies (2001). "Dr Mary Knowling honoured". News 24. Retrieved 21 September 2013.