Alastair was born a few minutes into Friday, 14th July, 1967 at the Vincent Palotti Hospital in Pinelands, Cape Town. He spent the first seven years of his life in Cape Town, going to nursery school in Pinelands and then, in 1974, spending a year and a half at the Bishops Pre-Primary School in Rondebosch.
At the end of 1974, Murray was transferred to Johannesburg and the family spent the next two years there. Alastair attended Greenhills Primary School where he played football in a team of boys a year or two older than himself.
At the end of 1976, the family transferred to Durban and Alastair went to Clifton Preparatory School. He did well academically and at sport. He was athletics Victor Ludorum, captain of cricket and played centre in the 1st XV rugby. He was chosen to represent North Durban Schools at centre in 1980 and played in a curtain raiser at Kings Park Stadium prior to the Natal match against the British Lions. In 1982, Alastair transferred to Westville Boys High School where he matriculated at the end of 1985. He played A team rugby at fly half all the way through and, in 1985, was the 1st XV fly half. According to one of the selectors, he narrowly lost out to Joel Stransky for selection to the Natal Schools team.
From 1986 to 1988, Alastair studied for his BA [Legal Studies and History] at Natal University and obtained the degree at the end of 1988. He went on to complete his LLB degree at the end of 1990. During his time at the university he represented the under 20 rugby team at fly half.
In 1991 Alastair and Iain travelled together to the UK and Europe for eight months, touring, staying with family and meeting new friends. They returned in August and Alastair immediately started serving his articles with Moodie and Robertson, a Johannesburg law firm. In 1992, he tranferred his articles to Livingston, Leandy in Durban where he completed articles and shortly thereafter passed his board exam and was admitted as an Attorney.
From 1994 to 2001, Alastair worked for the Westville law firm, McKenzie Dixon and became a partner. In November 1999, he married Gertrud Prigge and the couple settled initially on the Berea before buying a house in Westville which they renovated and enlarged and in which Gertrud still lives. In 2016, Gertrud moved to Stanford in the Cape after selling the Westville house.
Alastair was a talented sportsman and athlete, with two Comrades and nine Two Oceans Marathons under his belt. A voracious reader of classics and history, animal lover, a seeker of the truth, and a beloved and sought-out uncle, son-in-law and cousin to the wider family. His brother, Iain, remained one of his dearest friends despite living on different continents. His father, Murray, worked alongside him in building the Lomas-Walker firm.
Alastair and Gertrud and their two labradors fostered a number of dogs until their placement in good homes, and turned their tropical exotic property into an indigenous garden. Alastair was visionary before his time in applying sustainability principles to his home renovation. He foresaw the reaching of limits to growth and mourned a degraded planet. Having travelled widely, he loved his home. He was exceptionally generous and loyal, at times brutally truthful, unpretentious and a peacemaker. He loved deeply and changed the lives of those who knew him well.
In 2001, Alastair started his own legal practice and Lomas-Walker Attorneys was established on 1st March of that year. The firm grew and flourished and was doing very well when Alastair died in late 2009. His partner, Siveshna Padayachee, took over the firm after his death and runs it today.
Alastair died at the age of 42 of a dissected vertebral artery which, exacerbated by Factor 5 Leiden, caused him to suffer a stroke.
On 2nd November, 2009, after consultation with the medical professionals and with Iain, Murray and Gill, Gertrud took the painful decision to switch off Alastair's life support because he was in a coma from which he would never recover as his stroke had become massive. Gertrud and Iain, Murray and Gill all well knew that Alastair would never have wanted to be kept alive in such circumstances. So, the short life of a dearly loved husband, brother, son and friend to many came to such an untimely and tragic end.
On 6th November a Memorial Service was held for Alastair at the Westville Baptist Church and it was a comfort to see how well it was attended and to learn how highly regarded Alastair had been by his peers.
He is deeply mourned by his wife, Gertrud, parents, Murray and Gill, brother, Iain and his wife Lucy and their sons Scott and Thomas, the wider family, Craig, friends, Sivannah and his firm.
More than 500 indigenous trees have been planted in his memory throughout Westville.
His memory lives on.