Dignified farewell for Dino

When no family member came forward to claim the remains of 55-year-old Douw ‘Dino’ Gerbrant Muller, his friends were left trying to find a way to give him a dignified farewell.

That changed when Divine Funeral Group in Impala Park offered to assist with his cremation at no cost.

The funeral company became involved after freelance journalist Melissa Ludick’s article about Muller’s disappearance and death was shared on Facebook.

Ludick had previously reported on Muller after coming across a SAPS notice appealing to the public for help in locating his family. Her article, Dino Muller: A Life Beyond the Notice, explored the man behind the missing-person notice and spoke to Rahina Adams, who had known Muller for years and became part of his chosen family.

According to Ludick’s reporting, Muller had lived with Adams and her family since 2021 and had become deeply involved in their lives.

He was remembered as a quiet, caring man who loved animals, gardening and hairdressing.

He had previously worked as a chef in the navy, where his talent for cutting hair led to him developing a career as a hairdresser.

After seeing the story on Facebook, Shené Delport from Divine Funeral Group contacted those involved to see how the company could assist.

Delport said the initial offer was to provide assistance at a reduced cost, but after learning that Muller’s friends had struggled to secure financial help, she approached funeral agent Franco Gagiano.

“I said to him, listen, is there any way we can assist with this? He doesn’t have family, and can’t we just do it?” Delport said.

Gagiano agreed that the company could assist by covering the funeral costs.

“We’re not here for money. Obviously it’s a company, but if we can assist families in need, then we do,” Delport said.

Muller’s friends had reportedly approached several funeral parlours while trying to raise the money needed to put him to rest.

Delport said the company’s decision was ultimately about giving Muller and those who cared for him some peace.

“If it’s going to bring peace to Dino and to his friends, then why not?” she said.

A chosen family

Although no biological family has come forward to claim Muller, Ludick’s reporting revealed that he was not without people who cared about him.

Adams, who had known Muller for years, described him as part of her family. She affectionately referred to him as her “overgrown adult child that just never moved out”.

Muller was also remembered for his love of animals and his involvement in the family’s Christmas food-distribution efforts.

His death left a space in a household where he had become part of everyday life.

Delport said Adams was the person who stepped forward to obtain the necessary authority to have Muller’s remains released.

Because a funeral company cannot simply remove an unclaimed body from state custody, permission had to be obtained.

Adams approached the police and received the necessary documentation allowing Divine Funeral Group to collect Muller’s remains from Germiston Pathology Services.

Delport explained that the administrative process for the funeral company itself was relatively quick once the required authority had been obtained, although the overall process had taken several months because Muller’s friends had been trying to raise funds.

A quiet farewell

Muller will receive a direct cremation rather than a traditional funeral service.

His remains will be taken to the crematorium, after which the ashes will be returned to Divine Funeral Group and handed to his friends.

Delport said the company had never dealt with a case quite like this before, but felt it was important to help when the opportunity arose.

For a small, independent funeral company that has been operating for about two years, the decision also came with an understanding of the realities of running a business.

“All of us are running businesses, all of us have got our costs,” Delport said.

“But we are an independent, small undertaker that said, okay, we will do it.”

For Muller’s friends, the assistance means they no longer have to face the prospect of him remaining unclaimed.

And for a man whose story first reached the public through a SAPS notice, his final chapter will now be marked by the people who knew him, with a little help from people who did not.

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