In loving memory

Family visit to Grandpa in 2007

On Wednesday evening we received the sad news that my Grandpa had peacefully left his life here on earth. It was sudden and unexpected. He had lived a full 89 years and was due to celebrate his 90th birthday next month.

He was an amazing man and we have some precious memories of him. As children we loved his visits to Cape Town. My sister and I have memories of a holiday spent with him and my gran when we were 7 and 9. He had a great sense of humour and knew how to make us laugh. He was always up to some kind of trick which didn't amuse gran too much. One evening he was doing a little jig at the dinner table and my sister laughed so much, she spat her soup all over gran....boy where they in trouble!

I remember a trip to my cousins wedding and dancing the night away with my grandpa. That night I was instructed that he should not drive all the way back to my Aunt and Uncles farm in the dark and I should drive the party home. Boy, was I relieved to get there safely after the drive over the mountain with all his back seat driving!

Sadly my gran passed away 18 years ago. Grandpa was not one to be alone and he married a year later at a beautiful Cape Wine farm. It was quite something to be at my grandpas wedding.

I clearly remember his 80th birthday. My little guy just a few weeks old then. Grandpa had just come back from a wonderful overseas trip with his wife. She has lovingly cared for him over the last 17 years. The last few years have not been easy with his increasing age but she made sure that he was well taken care of. I am grateful that he did not live out his last years in an old age home, but at his own home.

A year ago, I had the opportunity to visit him while up in KZN. Over the years he had begun to loose his memory but he held everything together so well in a conversation. At that visit we had talked about his 90th birthday and he was amazed that he was going to be that old. I did not know that it would be our last visit.

My dear mum had a trip planned to visit us, arriving on Thursday morning. With the sudden news of her dad, I was not sure that she would be coming. I am glad that she did come and we are able to be a support to her in this very sad time. She and her dad had a special bond and would have a conversation at least once a week. She is comforted by the fact that their last words were the usual words, "I love you Dad" .... "I love you too"