TRICHARDT – Mr Rashid Ahmed Daya (81) died on Thursday, 12 February after he was diagnosed with cancer on Wednesday, 11 February.
He was admitted to Mediclinic Highveld on the day before he found out he had cancer.
Mr Daya also suffered from kidney failure.
The cancer was already in an advanced stage.
His loved ones and clients will always remember him as the friendly, soft spoken, gentle man at A & E Hyperworld who gave the children sweets he had in his pockets and discounts to the shoppers.
Mr Daya’s son, Mr Abdullah Daya (45), died on 14 March 2009 after being shot by robbers in the stomach.
He was taken to hospital after the shooting, but died the same day.
The criminals were arrested and the shooter was sent to jail for 20 years.
His accomplices received 10 years in jail.
Mr Rashid Daya also lost a daughter, Ms Abeda Nana (26), in 1986 after she died of a blood clot.
He is survived by his wife, Ms Fatima Daya (78), two daughters, Ms Habiba Daya and Ms Salma Mia, 12 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild who is now two months old.
His family described him as a man of few words who loved children.
“He was a man of good character, a gentleman, a people’s person,’ said his daughter, Ms Salma Mia.
“Everyone just loved him.”
“Family was important to him and he was patient and kind,” said Ms Habiba Daya.
“He often invited friends he met in A & E over for tea.”
Mr Daya was born in Rooi Jantjiesfontein and grew up and matriculated in Fordsburg in Johannesburg.
He moved to Trichardt after he finished school and went into the family business with his father, Mr Ebrahim Daya, who opened A & E in 1937.
His two brothers, Messrs Omar Daya and Abubaker Daya, were also part of the family business.
Mr Omar Daya died in an accident in 1983 and Mr Abubaker Daya is still managing the supermarket part of A & E.
His grandchildren will remember seeing him reading the newspaper.
“He loved reading any newspaper,” said Ms Mia.
“People always brought him the local newspapers from overseas.”
Mr Daya was in good health before he found out he had cancer and enjoyed playing cricket and tennis when he was younger.
“He was always very health conscious,” said Ms Bhyat.
Mr Daya was buried in Bethal and his prayer service was also held in Bethal on Friday, 13 February.
He would have celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary on the same day of his funeral.
“He was patient, never complained and was our pillar of strength,” said Ms Mia.
“Even though he lost four loved ones, his father, his brother, his son and his daughter, he was the glue that kept the family together.”
He took care of his brother, Mr Omar Daya’s, children after he died.
“There is just no words to describe him,” said Ms Mia.
He had a soft spot for his granddaughters and everybody called him Dada.
When he began working at A & E, Trichardt was a farming community and Mr Mohseen Daya remember how his grandfather told him how they sometimes bargained with the farmers for eggs and milk as payment instead of cash.
A & E was the biggest store in the region and did well.
“We supplied groceries to the mines when gold was found and Evander was formed in the 50s,” said Mr Mohseen Daya.
A & E expanded in 1976 when Sasol opened its doors and Secunda came about.
“My father and uncles went from a farm store to a department store,” said Mr Daya.
Sasol grew and the Daya family decided to make the store bigger again in 1982.
They then expanded the store to 10 000 square metres.
A & E then became a hyperworld.
It went even bigger in 2008 to 13 000 square metres and with the supermarket it is now 15 000 square metres big.
Messrs Mohseen Daya, Muhammed Daya and Ebrahim Daya, Mr Omar Daya’s three sons, now run A & E.
According to Mr Mohseen Daya, his uncle was the oldest businessman in the area.
“He was well respected and a leader in the community.
“He was well known and well liked by all his customers.
“The customers told me they miss him already,” said Mr Mohseen Daya.
Mr Rashid Daya was well liked as businessman as he accommodated customers’ needs and gave them extra special treatment.
According to Mr Mohseen Daya, his uncle would not have liked a customer to leave the shop without having bought something.
“The customers always asked him to attend to them personally as he was well experienced in furnishings and fashion,” said Mr Mohseen Daya.
“He also enjoyed arranging the furniture displays in the shop.”
Mr Rashid Daya will always be fondly remembered as the old man at A & E.
He will surely be missed by everyone who knew him.
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