He should have come to Marbella - A Tribute to Bryan Mangan

He should have come to Marbella but went to Heaven instead!
Bryan Morton Mangan (7th April 1947 – 8th August 2018)

And so, my boet, your time has come
The day is over, your work is done!
Stand back and look at what you achieved
Individual and focused on what you believed.

So be restful in heaven, have a break
Watch over us all, for all our sake!
Know that you lived and made an impact
You live on in our lives, our memories intact.

This is a tribute to my dearest boet Bryan, who passed away unexpectedly on 8th August 2018.

On the 31st of July 2018, as my family and I were preparing to go on holiday, Bryan and I had a long telephone conversation. I asked him to come and join us in sunny Spain, in beautiful Marbella...
Sadly, it was not to be...he went to Heaven instead!

For those of you that are reading this and wondering what a “boet” is – it is an Afrikaans word for brother and a frequently used “South Africanism”. However, it means so much more than brother and is most often used as a term of endearment across families and friends alike.

Bryan was my boet, but he was so much more than a brother to me. He was my confidant, my advisor, my inspiration and as a young boy growing up, my hero!
This is a short snap-shot of his life and his achievements and touches on family and friends that were on Bryan’s journey through life. I sincerely apologise to those wonderful people I’ve missed or overlooked from the stories...

Bryan was quite a character, razor sharp, an independent thinker who liked to challenge the status quo, and do things his way!
Bryan Morton Mangan was born to Frank and Joy Mangan in Johannesburg, South Africa on 7th April 1947.

As a young boy growing up under our parents, Bryan had the fortune to explore his early age options. Whilst at school, it soon became apparent that he was highly intelligent, excelling academically and doing many activities including chess and even playing the piano.

Bryan’s true calling became apparent once he reached adolescence – he realised that his passion was flying and dreamed of becoming a pilot!
He built and flew model airplanes, knowing full well that he wanted to fly the real thing!
And, by now, I was more than just a cute doll that my sister carried around lovingly and played with.

I could walk, talk and make a nuisance of myself, especially when my boet was building his latest balsa-wood model airplanes. Bryan’s punishment of me was the pleasure of a pretty frequent toilet dunking!

His teenage years brought the usual parental challenges, and no sooner had he dropped the piano when he was racing around on his motorcycles. He had quite a few – Garelli’s, Itoms, and even an Ariel!

With his friends Scamp, Dave, Digby Wesson, Leonard Wilson, Clive Strugnell and many others, they became interested in cars.

By now Bryan was all grown up and headed to the South African Airforce. Not content with flying Mirage fighter jets (which were too computer-controlled), Captain Bryan Mangan became a real, hands-on chopper pilot flying everything from Super Frelon’s to Alouette’s.

There’s a wonderful story about how our mother’s beautiful Renault Gordini mysteriously ended up in Emmarentia Dam!

Fast forward a few years and Captain decides to move to “civvy-street” and that he should become a commercial airline pilot. Literally, days before he was due to start, he decides he needs to go to University as a back-up plan in case his eyesight should ever fail. And so, Bryan the student emerges...

Bryan was gifted with a Mensa-type brain and soon was achieving the Dean’s List and Top Student Awards at Wits University making Frank and Joy very proud parents! Whilst at Wits he met some amazing people – Trevor Fagri, Henk Jordaan and others.

And so off to work he went at SAB!

Throughout his university life, Bryan had two lucrative side- line careers – modelling and as a commercial helicopter pilot. He could tell many a story about flying to the rigs off Cape Town, culls in the Kruger Park and some other “secret” missions!

But, as mentioned earlier, Bryan was a non-conformist and soon found that a 9am start to the working day was impossible! It couldn’t be done!
This called for a lifestyle change and so he started his MBA meeting Peter Cheales with whom he’d become best friends.

Multi-talented I tell you!

These side-line careers provided him with a lucrative income providing for a fleet of exotic cars, starting with a beautiful Porsche 911T, the first of many exotics.
Over time he’d enter into business with Brian Ferris selling exotic cars and go on to own some real beauties!

The prized Ferrari Dino 246 GT, Lamborgini, a de Tomaso Pantera, Maserati’s and a few more Porsches...
As you’ll know this love for cars rubbed off on Kathy and me too...

Bryan loved life and especially the enjoyment thereof! Good food, good wine and his friends and family were essential...
So, the logical thing to do was to enter the restaurant business, opening Mangan’s Grill in Randburg.

What a place it was! People still talk about the good ol’
days at Mangan’s Grill. Russell Pryor, Joop, Stuart, Steve Ellis and many others will all have tales to tell.

Thereafter followed a few other forays into other restaurants including taking over our regular Sunday night haunt, Roma Pizzeria in Melville, home of Enrico, Ornella, Fausto, Luca and the wonderful Sidney!
Everybody loved Roma... and Parkhurst... and Illovo too!

Bryan had always had a good head for business and it was logical that he would partner with his close friend Phil Valsecchi, who started and ran Canon Business

Bryan was blessed with many wonderful friends throughout his life, all playing important roles throughout.

His Airforce buddies, his school buddies, his study buddies, his food buddies – too many to mention but, including Peter Cheales, Trevor Fagri, Henk Jordaan, George “Scamp” Kemp, Dennis vd Linde, Dave and Irene Markantonis, Glenn and Glenda Wagner, Phil and Maureen Valsecchi, Laszlo, Russell Pryer, Dael Nathan, Steve Ellis, Clive Strugnell, Simon MacLennan, Alan Busuttil, Pat O’Leary, etc, etc..., ..., ... and of course the ladies, Clare, Anne, Tania, Ingrid, Avril, the list goes on...

Bryan and Clare, like everyone we know, had a relationship that enjoyed many highs and a few lows over time.

The highs were right up there at the TOP! A wonderful son, Dylan and a sincere, loving and enduring friendship with Clare.

Bryan and I were each other’s best men at our weddings – reflecting back, a great honour for us both! We really were true BOETS!

Bryan was immensely proud of Dylan, who has always loved the sea and related activities.

To Dylan,
Know in your heart that your Dad was a special man who, lived life his own way. In doing so, he may have done things differently that may have been difficult to understand at the time.

Over the last few years as your career has developed, there is NO father that could have been prouder of his son! You exceeded his every dream and expectation as you found your way.

You made him the P R O U D E S T Father. EVER!

So, stay your course, live your life. Be filled with courage and conviction and the knowledge that your father loved you more than you’ll ever know.