October 2025: Former WBHS Headmaster, Jan de Waal, writes – It is with great sadness that we heard of the passing of Alex Boettger, Matric 2019.
In his years at Wynberg, Alex always impressed with his bravery, stoic attitude and gentle demeanour and was greatly loved and respected by the entire school community.
Alex was the trailblazer in getting our school to become more inclusive and accepting of differently abled people. His willingness to try everything he could, and his ability to find a way to do what others thought impossible, have left a lasting impression on us all.
Our sincere condolences to the Boettger family and Alex’s many friends.
Your memory lives on, Alex! RIP Old Boy, brother in our endless chain.
Our thanks for the magnificent tribute below, written by a WBHS Mother, close to Alex’s family:
I DID IT MY WAY
Alex Boettger was born in Cape Town on 1 September 2001 and was named by his dearest brother, Dylan. They remained the greatest of friends and Dylan was his steadfast support structure, alongside his devoted mother, Andrea, his grandmother Ingrid, his two working dogs, Falkor and Kingsley, in the last few years, his devoted carer, Siphenele, and his dad, Oliver.
At the time, he was the youngest child, at the age of 11, to receive training and have a service dog from the SA Guide-Dogs Association. Kingsley has lived with Dylan for the last few years because of the knock-on effect of Covid and the difficulty in maintaining the strict discipline required of a working dog, and of course, Kingsley’s advanced age. Alex’s dogs were a true blessing in his life.
Initially, it was thought that Alex had low muscle tone, but when he started walking at 26 months of age, he was diagnosed with congenital muscular dystrophy. Although he learnt to walk and did so for as long as he could, it was always a battle, even with a rollator to support him. His first manual and then especially his automated wheelchairs gave Alex the freedom he needed to flourish, and their benefit far outweighed his struggle to stand on his own two feet. His automated wheelchair was under the direction of his baby finger and the joystick, and this was his ultimate freedom from grade 7 onwards.
Alex attended Greenacres Pre-Primary School and Sun Valley Primary School. His physical therapy included horse riding at Sleepy Hollow in Noordhoek and swimming lessons. His mother’s closest friend, Lee, a movement specialist and gifted athlete, spent many many hours a number of times a week with Alex working out practical ways for his body to cope in his journey to independent living. This was alongside fascinating discussions as they strived to keep Alex’s body moving for as long as possible when it no longer wanted to play game.
His Sun Valley days started his deep love for cricket and rugby, and Alex and Falkor even got to enjoy a Stormers rugby captain’s practice and to be photographed with Brian Habana. Cricket commentary and cricket scoring were high on his list. He visited Newlands Cricket Ground a number of times and particularly enjoyed the 5 day test matches.
Alex loved reading and gaming from an early age; he was never idle.
The Alex Boettger Trust was founded by amazing members of the community to assist Alex with his special requirements. A very big and sincere thank you goes out to all the founders and donors for their financial support over the years, and the support Alex received in so many other ways.
Alex first ventured into the Silvermine Mountains in a “chariot” that was left behind in Cape Town in 2010 by an ultra-distance runner, Jesper Olsen from Denmark. Jesper was running around the world for the second time, and his north to south leg ended at the tip of Africa, where he dropped off all his worldly goods after 21 449 km of running. Alex became a local trail runner from the comfort of his new chariot, and he could not believe, at the age of 9, how close the mountain and nature were to him. Very different from whizzing over the mountain in a car.
The seed was planted, and his year-long training commenced for the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon. Sporting adaptations were made to his means of transport with his dedicated and super-mother solely behind the handlebars. They qualified at the Peninsula Marathon and then ran the Ultra in 2012 in the wettest conditions in the history of the race in 6 hours 41 minutes and 56 seconds, way under the 7-hour cut-off, and despite the mud bath waiting for them at the finish on the rugby fields of UCT.
Alex was a man’s man, and the only high school for him was Wynberg Boys! He loved male company and rugby, and the idea of being part of an all boy’s environment. He was very specific about his friends and genuine, close relationships. He treasured the realness of friendship. All his friends, from a very young age, made a plan to include him, and even carried him up and down stairs, unknown to his mom. Great care would have been taken.
The grade 8 challenge was under his belt, and lifetime friendships and connections became set in stone. He started his debating career in grade 9 and never looked back. He competed at UCT and in Johannesburg, and was part of the national schools’ debating team. Unfortunately, his lifelong wish to travel abroad did not happen when the debating trip to Cambridge University did not materialise.
He matriculated in 2019 and did his academics on his own, completely independently. He started out life with a scribe at primary school.
Alex was also a great lover of MMA and UFC alongside his brother. He knew all the fighters and stayed up weekend after weekend until the early hours of the morning, watching every match.
Before Alex started his studies, he interviewed for and joined the local Zone Radio music station in Fish Hoek. In 2021 and 2022, he filled the Sunday night slot and shared his great love for his wide range of music from blues to punk to classical to hard rock, especially Metallica. He was much loved and admired by his fellow presenters and audience, and tributes to Alex continue to reach the Zone Radio station.
Richard Griggs, the owner of Zone Radio station, interviewed Alex at the outset of this journey. In response to Richard’s question regarding Alex’s reason for wanting to present, Alex exclaimed that he actually wanted to be a Stand Up Comedian! So for now, this was the first step towards his dream.
Alex took it upon himself to apply for funding for his studies at Varsity College, just before Covid, and managed to complete his 1st year online. He resumed his studies at UCT in 2023, including a big move into res and independent living. He was busy with his 3rd year towards a BA majoring in psychology and social development. He was very happy to be back at UCT, as this was the home of his high school debating career. His studies slowed down during this year as he was also supporting himself with part-time work, and because of his study rate.
He worked with the Restore – Restorative Justice NGO with parolees in Observatory and on a project taking place at Pollsmoor Prison. His ultimate goal was to work with prisoners, and he was a great believer in restorative justice and righting the system.
He was also working for Tour d’Afrique, where he had great plans for this leading destination company and was much valued and loved by them.
Both his places of work were thanks to his Brothers in an Endless Chain. He loved, was well-loved in return, and was well-connected.
Alex’s devoted carer Siphenele lived alongside him in res, and they went everywhere together. Even a breakaway to the Eastern Cape to spend time with Siphonele’s family at a traditional family gathering.
Over the past year, he was truly happy and had come into his own.
Dylan is 4 years older than Alex and loved his brother from the day he was born, and took care of him even before Alex’s diagnosis. Dylan sacrificed a great deal in the name of this great love, and the brothers shaped each other’s life; they had their fights, they were just regular brothers. They both hated pity. Alex maintained his fierce independence despite Dylan at his side.
Alex was extremely fair; he did not want an exception to be made just because of his disability. It just wasn’t right for anyone to feel sorry for him. He would not like us to be discussing this right now, but it is too important not to share.
He was very intelligent and researched everything he needed or wanted to know about.
He was respected by all his peers and colleagues, and his friends and family. His reach was wide, and he touched lives.
He never complained, never showed trepidation outwardly, but was so courageous as there was trepidation. There was pain, but he never wanted it to define him.
He wanted people to be happy around him. He was always up for a laugh and to make as little as possible of his disability. He would not be happy that this is being raised.
He belted out songs to his favourite music when no one was home. He was the best gift-giver; he listened to people and made notes for later reference, so that each gift was intentional and purposeful. He loved ordering the same food … sushi, or chicken cordon bleu, thanks to his Austrian/European roots.
Alex would have been an excellent psychologist if he had made it all the way. He was fearless in speaking to anybody. He had no qualm in engaging with a gang member and showing genuine interest.
But most importantly, Alex always saw a future even though he knew his time was limited. He lived like he was going all the way to 90! He never gave up dreaming. Even knowing he was getting weak at the end, he still never stopped dreaming.
Finally, a big part of Alex’s inspiration is that he lived life his way, not defined by his disability. From very early on, as evidenced above, he wanted to do it his way. Not to be known as that kid in the wheelchair, but only as Alex. He ended each of his Sunday night sessions with Frank Sinatra’s ‘I did it my way’, as he conducted each day of his truly admirable, precious life.
From an honoured friend