Stanley Tollman has died at the age of 91, after a battle with cancer.
He closed the final days of his life in France surrounded by four generations of family
Stanley was chairperson of the Travel Corporation (TTC), a Tollman family-owned and -led business that celebrated its centenary in 2020.
Stanley was born in Paternoster in 1930, where his parents, Solomon and Evelyn Tollman, owned and ran the Paternoster Hotel. At the age of 19, he left his university studies to help his parents run a hotel in Johannesburg, and embarked on a lifetime of hospitality and tourism.
Stanley married Bea, and in the 70s, they built the Tollman Towers Hotel, which is remembered by the over-fifties as an aspirational venue and the epitome of sophistication and glamour in Johannesburg. It was soon named one of the best hotels in the world.
It was the start of an incredible career in hospitality and tourism, under the name the Travel Corporation (TTC) which carries 40 brands (including Red Carnation Hotels, Trafalgar, Contiki, Insight, Cullinan, Luxury Gold, CostSaver, Uniworld River Cruises and Bouchard Finlayson Vineyards, to name a few) and has 10 000 employees.
Teresa Richardson (whom agents will remember from her long career at the Travel Corporation) said she was privileged to have worked for 30 years under the Chairmanship of Stanley Tollman.
“He was the most incredible leader and an amazing man. I will always remember the fascinating stories he told on the many conferences that I attended around the world. The life and business lessons that I learned along the way have shaped the person that I am today and I will always be grateful for this…Thank you for your kindness, leadership, for your remarkable generosity and for always making time to break bread with your team. Rest in Peace,” she said.
It is a measure of the respect shown Tollman globally that the Irish Times quoted the Head of Tourism Ireland, Niall Gibbons, hailing Stanley Tollman’s vision, positivity and values, and saying the Tollmans’ restoration of Ashford Castle had helped Ireland “punch above its weight on the world stage”.
Reflecting on the impact of Tollman, Alan Winde, Premier of the Western Cape, had this to say:
“Stanley Tollman - an inspirational entrepreneur and global business leader, a man of impeccable integrity: a loving husband, father and trusted friend. I am grateful for Stanley’s advice and encouragement in my own journey, and I know he played a similar role for so many people across every continent of the world. I am mindful of how many people he touched through his passionate leadership in the tourism industry. Whether directly or indirectly, there are millions around the world whose lives and memories have been enriched because of Stanley and the Tollman family. Tracy and I are so grateful to have known this wonderful man. We celebrate his life and immense legacy.”
