When someone dies, people grieve about more than the simple loss of a beloved one. They grieve for themselves, for family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances.
People also grieve for the lives the deceased touched and for those they would have touched. In the case of Louis Smith – a principled man of the people, sportsman extraordinaire, family man and a friend in a true sense of the word – the grief is boxing’s.
Smith passed away in the wee hours of Monday. A gloving steward par-excellence in East London, Smith served the fistic sport with dedication for 45 years. Born in East London, he later relocated to Mdantsane.
He was 95 years old when he passed away.
He dedicated his life and boundless energy to the fistic sport. Smith first served under Marcus Stampler, who was chairperson of the then Cape Province Boxing Commission. Smith was honoured by Boxing SA with a Lifetime Achievement award during last year’s annual ceremony in Durban.
Veteran boxing administrator Phakamile Jacobs – who is Boxing SA's provincial manager in East London – said when he joined boxing as a referee and judge in 1980, Smith was already doing what he loved most.
“He was never interested in becoming a referee or judge; he just loved being a gloving steward,” said Jacobs, who later became Smith’s boss.
“I have lost a trusted soldier who did not need to be supervised due his love, passion and commitment to the sport. You know, Bra Louis was doing a great job, I did not have to check gloves before each tournament because Bro Louis knew boxing gloves per weight division; he also knew the right size of gloves for every weight division.”
Jacobs said Smith's health deteriorated some two years ago and as a result, the soft-spoken veteran gloving steward did not renew his licence with Boxing SA last year. “Boxing and sport in general will be poorer without his bulky presence,” said Jacobs. “Bra Louis will remain a cathedral of loyalty and friendship to all of us in the fistic game.”
Boxing SA said: “Boxing arenas will never be the same again in the Eastern Cape, owing to the absence of this towering figure.
“The quiet, yet so effective Smith did his job with precision and passion as he mastered the job of being a glove steward for many years. Always geared up in his Boxing SA uniform, Bro Louis was always punctual for tournaments and ready to deliver his duties for the success of boxing tournaments, and took his job very seriously.
“His duties also involved ushering and instructing ring girls in-between rounds, as that is also an important feature in a boxing tournament. Rest in power Bro Louis, you will be sorely missed.”
As a gloving steward, he served the fistic sport for 45 years
SA boxing fraternity grieves for ‘Bra Louis’
As a gloving steward, he served the fistic sport for 45 years
Image: Theo Jeptha
When someone dies, people grieve about more than the simple loss of a beloved one. They grieve for themselves, for family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances.
People also grieve for the lives the deceased touched and for those they would have touched. In the case of Louis Smith – a principled man of the people, sportsman extraordinaire, family man and a friend in a true sense of the word – the grief is boxing’s.
Smith passed away in the wee hours of Monday. A gloving steward par-excellence in East London, Smith served the fistic sport with dedication for 45 years. Born in East London, he later relocated to Mdantsane.
He was 95 years old when he passed away.
He dedicated his life and boundless energy to the fistic sport. Smith first served under Marcus Stampler, who was chairperson of the then Cape Province Boxing Commission. Smith was honoured by Boxing SA with a Lifetime Achievement award during last year’s annual ceremony in Durban.
Veteran boxing administrator Phakamile Jacobs – who is Boxing SA's provincial manager in East London – said when he joined boxing as a referee and judge in 1980, Smith was already doing what he loved most.
“He was never interested in becoming a referee or judge; he just loved being a gloving steward,” said Jacobs, who later became Smith’s boss.
“I have lost a trusted soldier who did not need to be supervised due his love, passion and commitment to the sport. You know, Bra Louis was doing a great job, I did not have to check gloves before each tournament because Bro Louis knew boxing gloves per weight division; he also knew the right size of gloves for every weight division.”
Jacobs said Smith's health deteriorated some two years ago and as a result, the soft-spoken veteran gloving steward did not renew his licence with Boxing SA last year. “Boxing and sport in general will be poorer without his bulky presence,” said Jacobs. “Bra Louis will remain a cathedral of loyalty and friendship to all of us in the fistic game.”
Boxing SA said: “Boxing arenas will never be the same again in the Eastern Cape, owing to the absence of this towering figure.
“The quiet, yet so effective Smith did his job with precision and passion as he mastered the job of being a glove steward for many years. Always geared up in his Boxing SA uniform, Bro Louis was always punctual for tournaments and ready to deliver his duties for the success of boxing tournaments, and took his job very seriously.
“His duties also involved ushering and instructing ring girls in-between rounds, as that is also an important feature in a boxing tournament. Rest in power Bro Louis, you will be sorely missed.”
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