A ‘Rocky’ life but well-lived

WELL-KNOWN Vryheid resident Rocky Cooper died on Wednesday last week in Jubileum Old Age Home. He died a loved and respected man, perhaps surprisingly because his life had been rocky, rough and tough, had never been easy. Was this a result of circumstances or bad choices? Both.

He was born in Pietermaritzburg, his father dying when young Harold was just three months old, and his relationship with his stepfather was loveless. He left school with just a Standard 6, and being small in stature wanted to be a jockey. His stepfather made him become a postman.

His life spiraled downwards. As a youngster he worked on a farm near Hlobane (how and why he got to northern KZN is not known), he was admitted to a reform school, he picked up the name “Rocky” at a boxing club, he lived on the streets, he lived in the Free State, worked on a mine, was a horse wrangler in Lesotho. He drank, he smoked dagga.

He married in 1961 and had two sons. Then he was a long-distance bus driver, but that didn’t stop him drinking and smoking. In fact, he thought that his bus route was an ideal method of distributing dagga. But his marriage was in trouble and his wife told the police. Rocky was sentenced to nine years in prison, serving seven years and three months.

Vryheid became his home, or at least Vryheid ‘s streets became his home with Rocky spending the nights in Vryheid cemetery, in old cars or other relatively safe spot. He stayed in Lakeside with the coloured community, and always his refuge was drink.

Then, some years ago, he turned his life around. He admitted that had he not done so he would probably have been dead. He became a resident of the Old Age Home and although he gave up drinking it was almost as if his life and his drinking had distilled Rocky’s character, leaving just the essence of the man.

And what a different man Rocky was underneath it all: A model resident of the Home, kind, considerate, empathetic, helpful, friendly, thoughtful, and a man with a strong belief in God.

We’ll never know, of course, but had Rocky’s circumstances been different. . .

Find us on; Facebook, twitter, and on Whats App 060 986 0731.