Martin Hutton-Squire
6 Jan 1947 – 2 Oct 2026
We were shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Martin’s sudden passing on 2 October 2026. Martin was Chairman of the Cape Town Section of the MCSA from 2016 to 2021, and again from 2023 to 2024. This was remarkable dedication, given that his involvement in the Section’s activities and on the General Committee (Gencom) long predated his chairmanship. Indeed, even when he agreed to stand for re-election to Gencom back in 2016, which led to his election as Chairman, it was with some reluctance, and on the proviso that he would only do so if a younger member were not available!
He served at various times on the Access & Land Acquisition and Properties Subcommittees, as the Breekkrants Convenor, and for a number of years as the Club’s liaison with Table Mountain National Park (TMNP).
Martin chaired Gencom meetings with brutal efficiency and applied himself to the matters of the Cape Town Section with unfailing devotion and enormous attention to detail across a wide range of endeavours. To describe his service to the Section as immense would be a great understatement. Only those who served alongside him – and, no doubt, his immediate family – could truly appreciate the scale of his contribution, having witnessed it first-hand. He epitomised volunteering and the spirit of what it means to belong to this Club – namely, a ‘voluntary association’ of members.
His boyish enthusiasm for the mountains, and for the shared joy that mountain experiences bring to those who seek them, surely lay at the heart of the time and energy he poured into the interests of the Club and its members. He related easily to people of all ages and from all walks of life. He took genuine delight in seeing younger generations of climbers and mountaineers embrace opportunities to seek adventure in wild places.
His origins in a well-established Elgin farming family enabled him to connect comfortably with, and understand the concerns of, rural landowners. These relationships are often delicate, benefiting greatly from the diplomacy he was able to muster when required.
By turns charming and irascible, Martin was open to being won over to other points of view. He took gibes directed at him with good humour and his trademark broad smile.
As a young man, Martin was part of a group of UCT students who had the energy and audacity to envision and then build an A-frame ski hut near the Slabs at Waaihoek, on UCT’s Zuurberg property in the Hex River Mountains. Known for decades simply as Hoare Hut, the structure now bears a plaque with the name “Hoare Hutt2”, acknowledging the contribution to its construction by the Hutton-Squire brothers, Johnny and Martin. Referring to his efforts and those of others in building the UCT Mountain & Ski Club’s beloved hut, Martin once said, “Back in the day we were just having fun!!” His experience in building that hut, along with his professional and broader life experience, positioned him well to advise and guide the Cape Town Section members driving the construction of the Club’s newest structure, Sybas Hut, on Waaihoeksberg. He supported that initiative with enthusiasm and was delighted to officiate at its opening in January 2025.
Martin steered the Club through various crises and difficulties, and was heavily involved in the Cape Town Section’s successful defence of a legal challenge to its registered servitude to access Steenboksberg. At the time of his passing, he was still actively involved in Club matters. Those of us who had the privilege of working with him will miss his vigour, expertise, and mischievous sense of fun enormously. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Martin’s wife Trish, his sons Gregory, James and Simon, his daughter Catherine, his grandchildren, and to his broader family and wide circle of friends.
Marian Oliver
