Leading South African horseracing personality John Freeman has paid tribute to owner Pamela Isdell who passed away on Tuesday 18 March 2025.
It is with deep sadness that I inform you that our dearest Pamela gave up her battle against cancer yesterday. She passed away holding her beloved husband Neville’s hand in Atlanta.
You may know that it was Pamela’s wish to return to Atlanta to be with her beloved daughter Cara, grandson Rory and son-in-law Zac. How she achieved that, given how frail she was when she left Cape Town, is typical of her incredible strength and resolve.
Pamela Isdell – a blithe spirit (Pic – Supplied)
Sincerest condolences to Neville and the family. We have all been blessed to have been in her midst. She was a blithe spirit that enriched so many lives. Pamela and Neville were married for 57 years.
Our beautiful, gentle Pamela was not only a caring friend and much-loved racing partner but she was also the strongest woman I have ever met. Despite her pain and discomfort, she wanted to be at the races and would stay just that little bit longer when urged to wait for the next race even though it wore her out.
Pamela loved animals and developed a passionate commitment to habitat preservation and species survival and an abiding connection to the people of Africa.
As a trustee of the Isdell Family Foundation, and in her work with Neville, former chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company and former chairman of WWF-US, she helped support a broad portfolio of nonprofit organizations, especially The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Peace Parks South Africa.
She supported many pet and wildlife projects which included the restoration and preservation of the de Hoop Penguin colony, SANCCOB, Western Cape Equine Trust, the Ardene Gardens in Claremont and Bird Life Africa (of which she was Honorary Patron).
Pamela was deeply committed to Birdlife South Africa and its conservation work since 2013 and was one of BLSA’s our honorary patrons, Golden Bird Patron and through her informal title as patron of the African Penguin, she funded the Pamela Isdell Fellow of African Penguin Conservation and helped establish the Isdell House, BLSA headquarters as well as their Vulture Protection Project.
She has also been Animal Welfare Society of SA’s main benefactor and built the Pamela Isdell Sterilisation Clinic on their premises in Philippi. The clinic does wonderful work in preventing unwanted animal pregnancies across the Cape flats.
I know that she also assisted with other wetland projects and rehabilitated an overgrown, forgotten forest in England that she fondly referred to as her ‘wood’.
Pamela funded SANCCOB’s and Bird Life’s recently successful action by the Biodiversity Law Centre to protect African Penguins’ conservancy areas. She was delighted at the news which she received just before she left Cape Town. What a poignant last hurrah for a project that was so close to her heart.
During covid Pamela organised the rescue of hundreds of abandoned cats and dogs and chartered a flight for them to be rehomed in Canada.
Pamela loved racing. Her well-known purple and white colours saw their fair share of the winner’s enclosure. She really enjoyed being part of Tricolor with Gaynor Rupert and Ravi Naidoo’s Kalinga.
The Tricolor Partnership celebrating Future Swing’s Chairman’s Cup victory – from left to right Neville and Pamela Isdell, Gaynor Rupert and Ravi Naidoo (Pic – Supplied)
Her racing success included being part of Future Swing, winner of seven races including the Gr2 WSB 1900, Gr3 Chairman’s Cup and the Algoa Cup. Kwinta’s Light won five including the Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes, Olympic Duel Stakes, Laisserfaire Stakes, Zapatillas’ Gr2 KZN Guineas, Salvator Mundi’s Gr2 Western Cape Stayers, Star Express won six, including Gr3 Victress Stakes, and dual stakes winner of seven races Elusive Fortune.
But Pamela was happiest when she was surrounded by nature with her beloved Neville.
Her passing leaves a huge gap in my life. We started planning celebrations for her 80th birthday some time ago and believed that she would make it. Sadly the cancer was so aggressive that the predicted years turned into months and then weeks.
Neville called me Tuesday night to say that the funeral will be in two weeks from now in Atlanta.
We are making plans to celebrate Pamela’s life with the racing community at a later date.
Our dear friend is no more … only in spirit, in our memory and our honour of her.
May her dear soul rest in peace.
- Ed – with kind thanks to John Freeman
