Friends and family bid farewell to well-known Moot resident
"My father never wanted to die, he wanted to grow old. There is so much he still wanted to do and see."
A memorial service for well-known Moot resident Hennie Wolfswinkel was held at the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk in Villieria on Tuesday.
He passed away on Sunday, 23 May at the age of 70 due to a brain haemorrhage.
His wish was to be cremated and to have his ashes scattered on his farm in Vlakfontein in Mpumalanga.
His son Hein said that his father’s death was sudden.
“He was admitted to hospital on Thursday and a few days later he passed away,” he said.
Hein still lives in the house in Capital Park where his father grew up.
Daughter, René de Lange said that their father did not hesitate to help others.
“He never said no and he helped his family in any way possible.
“He was a family man. His family was his everything,” said De Lange.
Family and friends have had an annual gathering for the past 20 years.
Hennie is survived by his six children and 10 grandchildren.
“My father never wanted to die, he wanted to grow old. There is so much he still wanted to do and see.
“He is in a better place, but he will leave a big void in the hearts of his family and friends,” De Lange said.
“We as a family will live on the traditions he established and cherish each other just as our father did.”
Hennie was well-known in the Moot community where he lived in Rietfontein for the past 22 years.
He was a member of the Wolfswinkel band and also owned one of the longest existing paint businesses in the Moot.
In the 1970s, Hennie started with music lessons in Capital Park where he mainly played the piano and organ. He was a teacher where he offered drum and guitar lessons.
He also owned a music store in Myburgh Street in Capital Park.
As a 10-year-old boy, Hennie played piano in the orchestra. It was first known as the Wolfswinkel Jazz band.
In 1980, he joined the Riksjas band.
Members of the band, Robin Tapych, Tony Hyman, Peet Johnson and De Lange recorded a song in memory of Hennie.
“My father himself chose a song, namely, the ‘Gatskop song’.
“It is a heartache that our father passed away, but we are thankful for the time we got to spend with our father and a friend to many,” she said, adding that her father loved painting.
“I inherited his artistic genes,” De Lange said.
His mother, Baba, passed away last year at the age of 91.
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