Chamber stalwart dies: Friends and colleagues pay tribute
Anita Greeff reveled in the history of the town she came to call her home.
Springs residents received with sadness and shock on September 8 the news of the sudden death of Anita Greeff (66), the general manager of the Eastern Gauteng Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EGCCI).
The friendly and professional woman has been an integral part of the EGCCI where she worked for the past 30 years.
Her professionalism and willingness to always lend a helping hand will be remembered by many business people and residents.
The chambers Pravin Naidoo said Anitas name is synonymous with the Springs chamber and for three decades she has been an integral part of the executive team.
An excellent and professional administrator. She built lasting relationships with our members, local and government officials and the public in general.
Her hard work, enthusiasm and passion for the chamber will be missed, added Naidoo.
Anita was born and schooled in the Vereeniging/Drie Riviera area and moved with her parents to Pretoria where she completed her tertiary education at the Pretoria Technicon.
The opportunity to work as the assistant PA to the head of the Atomic Energy Corporation, Dr Ampie Roux, was the beginning of a long and successful administrative career.
After marrying her husband Paul Greeff, the couple moved to Springs where Anita initially worked for Mondi (now MPact).
Also read: Chamber has moved to new location
In 1992 she joined the Springs Chamber of Commerce (now Eastern Gauteng Chamber of Commerce and Industry) where she worked for Dick Goss who moulded and refined her professional and administrative skills.
Her family says she had three mentors who shaped and inspired her life her late father Frederick Kriel, Roux and Goss.
After Goss death, Anita worked first for general manager Fred Jones and then Koos van der Berg, upon whose retirement she was appointed chamber general manager.
Anita forged lasting relationships with past chamber presidents, commercial and industrial members, local and government officials and the general public.
Always impeccably groomed, she epitomised the professionalism and high standards of service offered by the chamber.
Her hard work, enthusiasm and passion for the chamber will be missed.
She leaves behind her husband Paul, daughter Lezaan Kriel, son-in-law Chris Kriel and granddaughters Lané and Mia Kriel.
Fred Jones, general manager of the Business Linkage Centre, said he is still coming to terms with Anitas passing as they have been colleagues for almost 26 years.
I wrote in my diary that her voice is quiet and her chair is empty. Every morning we used to sit in her office over coffee and rusks to talk about our lives and our families. As much as she was well-spoken, she was also private. Anita never spoke bad about anyone, he said.
When it came to Anitas organised side, Fred said she kept everything in order and on record.
She kept a file that contained details about the organisation. If someone needed information, she would find what was needed, said Fred.
Vice-president and member of the executive, Barbara-Ann Day, who worked closely with Anita in the membership and marketing department, said that Anita will be fondly remembered as a meticulous, perfectionist and outspoken person.
It was always a pleasure working with her. Our ideas correlated with each other.
She was never a walkover, she spoke her mind and if she was not pleased she would have found a way to make it right. Anita always went an extra mile to arrange the organisation’s events, she said.
Barbara-Ann said Anita left a big set of shoes to fill as she was loved by everyone who had the pleasure of working with her.
A memorial service for Anita will be held on September 17.
It will start at 10:00 and will be held at the Springs North branch of the NG Church, 41 Botha Street.
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