Remembering Fiona Chisholm: A beloved journalist's legacy

Veteran writer and reporter, Fiona Chisholm, died on Sunday, January 19, at her Tokai home at the age of 86. 

Her sister, Sheila Chisholm, said she died peacefully of natural causes in the company of her husband, David Pryce. 

Fiona was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1939. She moved to South Africa in 1946 with her sister and father, Eric Chisholm, a well-known Scottish composer who later became the Dean of the College of Music at the University of Cape Town.

Fiona had a long career at the Cape Times, where she started as a cub reporter, working her way through the courts before becoming an award-winning columnist with her own daily column. She later became an art critic at the Cape Times and then an art editor.

After retiring from the Cape Times, Fiona wrote her 'Out and About' column for the Constantiaberg Bulletin for several years, publishing her final column at the end of 2020.

Fiona had two sisters: her elder sister, Sheila, and her younger sister, Morag Wright, who lives in Winchester, United Kingdom.

Fiona had five stepchildren from her first marriage to the late Brian Lello, and two stepdaughters, Samantha and Caroline Pryce, with her husband, David.

Ms Chisholm said her stepdaughters and Fiona's niece, Margot Roebert, took amazing care of her and her husband as they aged.

Ms Chisholm described her sister as having a vibrant personality who was an excellent public speaker and a "girl not to be tampered with."

Ms Roebert said: “Fiona was passionate about people and took a real interest in their lives; she loved deeply and was a devoted wife to first Brian and then David Pryce. She had a delightful sense of humour and was a wonderful storyteller."

Ms Chisholm said that her sister always enjoyed gardening and took an interest in wine.

“She was part of Run/ Walk for Life, ran regularly, and loved walking on the mountain, walking her dogs in Tokai Forest. Her quiet times were spent reading; she was a great cook, and she loved entertaining and matching wine to her dishes,” she said.

Former long-serving reporter for the Constantiaberg Bulletin, Karen Watkins, said she worked with Fiona for many years and would file her 'Out and About columns', which were very popular with their readers.

“She was always on top of what was happening in the Bulletin area and the greater Cape Town happening scene. She would always end her column with a joke,” she said.

There will be a memorial service for Fiona at her Tokai home on Saturday, January 31, at 11am.