Community gathers to honour the extraordinary life of Gemey Abrahams
A memorial bench and newly planted trees now stand as symbols of the warmth, kindness and quiet impact she left on her community.
There were tears, laughter and quiet smiles in the park next to the 1st Greenside Scouts Hall as residents gathered to remember Gemey Abrahams — a woman whose kindness left a permanent mark on not only her own community of Emmarentia but the surroundings too.
Friends, neighbours and family came together for a Remembrance Day organised by the Emmarentia Residents Association (ERA), where she served as a member of its executive committee for more than 20 years.
At the park, a bench and four trees were dedicated in her honour. Yet it was not only the physical memorials that stood out on the day. It was the stories people carried about her.
Abrahams was remembered not only for her volunteer work with the residents’ association, but also for the compassion and professionalism she brought to her career as a town planner. Those who knew her described her as thoughtful, meticulous and deeply caring — someone who quietly improved the lives of others simply by showing up for them.
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ERA chairman Saber Manjoo said the memorial was intended to create a peaceful place where residents could sit, reflect and remember her spirit.
“Gemey was a runner, but she was also quite a deep thinker,” he said. “It’s a beautiful place to sit quietly and think.” But perhaps the most moving tribute came from her grandchildren, whose emotional speeches painted a picture of the grandmother they adored. They spoke of a fun-loving gran who would bounce on trampolines with them, dive into swimming pools and enthusiastically support every new hobby they explored.
When one grandchild became interested in sewing, Abrahams learned alongside her and patiently taught her how to sew.
Her son, Stirling Andrew Levesley, described the day as emotional but comforting.
“It feels close to home because it’s in the community we spent over 25 years in,” he said. “To hear stories from people I’ve never met before about how she impacted their lives means a lot.”
Long after the speeches ended, children continued playing nearby while residents lingered around the bench beneath the newly planted trees — proof that Abrahams’ warmth still lives on in the community she loved so deeply.
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