Jack Leroy (76), the Atlasville pensioner who was stung by a swarm of bees on December 26, died in Tambo Memorial Hospital in the early hours of this morning (January 1).

His wife, Daniéle, told the Advertiser on December 29 her husband was in a critical but stable condition. The poison from the stings, she said, was presumed to have been the reason he had lost proper function of his one kidneys and of his heart.

Daniéle remained hopeful her husband’s body would fight the poison and that he would recover.

Close family friend Kim Tompsett this morning confirmed Jack died in hospital and said their sons were now with his distraught wife.

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The bee attack happened after Jack went to trim grass around a meter box in Atlas Spruit Park near their home on the corner of Kakelaar Street and Nightingale Road, at about 5pm that fateful day.

He walked with crutches and was found collapsed on the driveway by Kim’s husband when he drove past their house.

Kim said it was a dreadful sight and probably the worst experience of her life to see Jack covered in bees.

It apparently took an hour to get the bees off of his body before he could be transported to hospital.

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