It's with the most profound sense of loss and sadness that I'm writing this. Back in the 80's, you were a substitute English teacher at the local high school. I could not have even begun to imagine what a life changer the diminutive woman with the warm smile would prove to be in the following few months. As a boy of fifteen, struggling to find his feet as a young man on the threshold of adulthood, you instilled a huge sense of self-belief in me. You made English fun. I started to realize what you were trying to get across, understood what you meant with correct pronunciation being the soul and gateway to understanding a language. No small feat to achieve in a predominantly Afrikaans speaking and thinking rural school! With your subtle and gentle way of persuasion, you opened a whole new world to me. A different and exciting world of exploring the intricacies of an (almost) new language thus enabling me to journey into the thoughts of people who speak and write that language. Getting to grips with a language other than your mother tongue, proved to be daunting yet inspiring and uplifting at the same time. It gave me the self confidence and belief which was sorely lacking at that stage of my young life. A few years later, I ran into you in town. I complained to you about the poor marks I received in my last exam. Smiling and without hesitation you told me to stop complaining, to pick myself up and to work even harder. The results I was looking for would be there without doubt. You leant forward to give me a reassuring hug before getting into your Ford Grenada and driving off. As the years pass, you remain in my thoughts whenever I try to express myself in the language that once seemed so foreign to me. It never fails me when I tried to get a concept or idea across to English speaking folk. Oh and yes... I do have quite a few English speaking friends these days. And yes, I did find some things in their culture enlightening and eye opening. You were spot on!

"Die Berggans het 'n veer laat val van die hoogste krans by Woeperdal.. " (Boerneef 1897 - 1967) Van ons studentelewe op Stellenbosch, tot die jare in Franschhoek, waar ons die (toe nog net 7) dogtertjies grootgemaak het, tot ons tye saam in die Paarl, het ons 'n pad saamgestap.. Jy was my sielsgenoot en beste pêl. Saam-saam het ons tuingemaak, in die Namakwaland-veld gestap tussen die blomme en skulpe opgetel by Paternoster en Waenhuiskrans. Ons het op Bettysbaai se stoepie gesit en kyk na die oranjerooi sonsondergange, 'n vuurtjie aangesteek en met 'n glasie rooiwyn in die hand hartsake gesels. Ons roadtrips (met Leánne aan die stuur) was legendariese avonture! Ons groet met groot hartseer, maar met 'n skatkis vol wonderlike herinneringe. Die stories sal voortleef... Ek dink aan julle Snip, Esté, Antjie en Nicci asook families in hierdie tyd van hartseer en verlange. Baie dankie dat julle haar 'n paar jaar vir ons geleen het. Ons eer haar nagedagtenis. Etta Stander (en familie)

"We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun." Dearest one of our best friends in South Africa, Ampie. Thanks for all the fun times and laughter together. All the road trips and time spent together, from Nieuwoudtville to Betty's Bay. You were at times nervous and scared of my driving skills but nevertheless, we had fun! You were só much part of my family and our lives here in South Africa and we celebrated many South African Christmases together. Thanks for some of your lovely paintings you gifted me and my mother, Etta. We will treasure it forever and always think of you when we look at it. "We had joy, we had fun We had seasons in the sun But the wine and the song Like the seasons have all gone Too much wine and too much song Wonder how we got along Now that spring is in the air And the birds are singing in the sky With the flowers everywhere I wish that we could all be there We had joy, we had fun We had seasons in the sun But the stars we could reach Were just starfish on the beach We had joy, we had fun We had seasons in the sun But the wine and the song Like the seasons have all gone All our lives we had fun We had seasons in the sun But the hills that we climbed Were just seasons out of time We had joy, we had fun." Love you. Leánne Stander and family From Paarl, South Africa

I met you once at Frances’s house. She wasn’t home yet but you still invited me in and we shared food and stories whilst I waited. I was struck by your sense of “family” and how important they are to you, they are very lucky to have had you in their lives.. Rest in peace beautiful lady.