Berea Park’s Shan will be sorely missed

SHAN Ramsurjoo, one of Berea Park’s friendliest faces will be missed at the park this month.

The 63-year-old municipal worker retired last week after 19 years working at parks in and around Durban as a public convenience attendant ensuring the public was happy and toilets were in order.

“Over the years I have made many friends, I’m bilingual and can speak to most people. I started in Pine and Aliwal Park and then moved to Mitchell Park but have really been at home at Berea Park and made so many two and four-legged friends here,” said an emotional Shan.

Her favourite friends are Bean and Domino who run to her whenever they see her while on their walks. Shan said she would miss the park, the staff and people who visited, all of whom had become an extension of her family. “The morning walkers, rugby and soccer players, photographers, guys planting in the blistering heat, they all have a special place here. It has been such a pleasure to work here enjoying the beauty of natur. I always looked forward to getting to work. When I was well enough, I would jog before I started work, but now with my arthritis playing up walking around has become difficult, but I still feel young at heart and have hopes of becoming a businesswoman,” she said.

With a passion for cleaning, Shan hopes to start a domestic kitchen cleaning business, even if it is for a short period.

Steve Mandy, world renowned artist and resident of Musgrave said he was sad to see Shan go. “I walk my dogs Bean and Diesel in the Berea Park twice a day, every day. It’s a beautiful and well utilized park with footballers, rugby players, fitness fanatics, martial arts exponents and many others sharing the facilities in a healthy and positive way. But for me, and many others, its a place in the city where we can just enjoy being outside amongst nature. The experience is made more pleasurable by the friendly disposition of the municipal staff who contribute to it being such a pleasure to be in.

“Shan is one of these people and it’s with a heavy heart that we see Shan retiring. She is my dogs’ favourite person in the world (above me even) and we will all miss her and wish her well for a happy and safe retirement,” Mandy said.

As a token of appreciation for her warmth and kindness to the residents that frequented the park and especially Bean, his four-year-old Golden Retriever, Mandy hand painted a special tee shirt with a hand painted picture of Bean.

On the back of the shirt he wrote :

For every

Little old lady who walked

Footballer who kicked a ball

Motorist who cast an eye

School trip that passed through

Child who played

Athlete who trained

Most of all

Dog who was walked

You made our lives more colourful

Thank You

Another four-legged friend of Shan’s, Domino was also keen to say goodbye to her last Friday. Dieter Donian, owner of Domino said it was terribly sad not to see Shan’s friendly face at the park. “We are here almost everyday and look forward to a reunion with Shan at least once a month in the future,” he said.