Edenglen wife speaks out after husband is killed in robbery

Life for an Edenglen family has been changed forever following the shooting of their loving father and husband.

Also read: EDENVALE: Patron shot, killed in restaurant robbery

Dean Potgieter (48) was shot and killed during a restaurant robbery in Edenglen on Harris Road on May 7.

He was described by his wife of 17 years, Tina, as a very loving and hands-on father to their son, Luke (8).

“He was very close to Luke and took a great interest in his education,” said Tina.

Also read: Community sends messages of support after patron is shot, killed during restaurant robbery

When Dean came home from work he would sit down and help Luke with his homework while Tina prepared dinner.

“Dean was a quiet guy. He had a close group of friends but he was a family man. We were always together,” said Tina.

Dean always wanted the best for his family.

Tina said if there were ever repairs needed to be done around the home, Dean would attend to them immediately or as soon as he could.

“Dean was always concerned with the well-being and safety of me and Luke,” said Tina.

Tina explained that when she was out travelling late at night Dean would ask her to keep him informed of how far she was.

Dean and Tina met through mutual friends at a party in Edenvale.

“When we met there was an immediate connection between the two of us. After the party we never saw other people, only each other. We were both from the Edenvale area so I suppose it was fate that we met each other,” said Tina.

They soon got engaged and then married on a beach in Mauritius.

At the request of the family, Dean and Tina held a second church wedding in Edenvale for friends and family.

Tina said Dean was known as a funny guy and had a quirky sense of humour.

“He was always joking around and having a laugh. Dean would always try and add some humour to a situation,” said Tina.

One such time was at the couple’s second wedding.

“At the second wedding, which was more of a renewal of vows, Dean joked with me and told me, ‘You better not keep me waiting like other brides. If you’re not there in 15 minutes I’ll go have a beer’,” said Tina.

One of Tina’s fondest memories of Dean was a family holiday with Luke.

The trio went to Mauritius. They stayed at the place where Tina and Dean were married, which made the trip all that more important.

“Luke was our miracle child. We struggled to have children for eight and a half years. Taking him to Mauritius with us was special,” said Tina.

Since Dean’s death the emotions come in waves for Tina.

“I know Dean was killed and I have accepted it, but sometimes it does not feel real and I expect him to walk through the doors. I really relied on him,” said Tina.

She said family members, friends and work colleagues have been helping her.

“The messages of support from everyone have also given me strength. To know that there is so much love out there is overwhelming,” said Tina.

Tina said Luke seems to be doing okay and, despite being only eight years old, understands what has happened but still misses his dad.

“Luke told me that he wished God would make a miracle and bring Dean back,” said Tina.

The last gift Dean gave his son was a set of checkers.

Dean was meant to spend Sunday afternoon teaching Luke how to play the game.

On the day of the shooting Dean spent some time with his parents celebrating his own dad’s birthday. After having lunch with his parents Dean went to get lunch for Tina.

He hooted when he drove past the family’s home.

Tina said from what she has pieced together, the slip for the food was in Dean’s wallet but there was no food near him.

She believes Dean had either forgotten something in his car or was going to wait in his car when he got into a scuffle with one of the robbers.

“I think Dean ran back into the restaurant to warn the other patrons,” said Tina.

Dean was shot twice and died on the scene.