Our mom was born to be a phenomenal mother. She selflessly dedicated her life to her family. Perhaps trained in that role as a big sister, and with her own mother as a role model, our mom exuded unconditional motherly love. While Claire and I were privileged to call her mom/mommy, I know that many of you also witnessed that motherly love in her varied roles as a devoted wife, adoring granny, benevolent mother-in-law, compassionate godmother, affectionate aunt and loyal friend.

Mom made our childhood magical. Every morning before going to nursery school, I remember mom coming into my bedroom, opening the curtains to let the sunshine in and singing “catch a little sunbeam, put it in your pocket, and never let it fade away…” I went to school believing there were sunbeams in my pockets! Mom loved books and reading. She shared that love of words with us, her daughters and grandchildren. I’m sure that Ethan and Emily, Paige and Ayden will forever cherish the memory of being tucked under granny’s arms as she transported them to magical lands of fairies and goblins. She had a special way of making the words on each page come to life... As a young girl, after listening to mom read a poem entitled “the little house” in which there was a verse “if you’ve got a little house and you keep it spick-and-span, perhaps there’ll come to live in it a tiny little man”… naturally I ran to clean my dolls house. Mom helped me to write a little welcome note, and that very night I received a reply. Written in the most immaculate and minute writing. My little man turned out to be friends with the tooth fairy, so we kept regular contact thereafter. To keep the magic alive, mom wrote out the poem and drew the most beautiful fairy-tale tree… A replica now hangs on my daughter (Paige’s) wall, where we hope to emulate the magic.

In later years mom became my confidant. My rock. She had an intuition second to none and could read all my emotions from a simple “hello”. She would offer help long before I had the words to ask and selflessly would drop everything to lend a helping hand. She thrived on helping others. Mom was the most incredible listener and had an aptitude of knowing just what to say to ease a burden or share a triumph. She epitomizes the women and mother I wish to be as I have always been in absolute awe of her immense and endless kindness and compassion.

More than just a kind heart, mom had an inner strength and determination. In nearly 10 years of fighting cancer, including 3 years of stage 4 cancer, mom spent less than 2 days in bed. Every day she got up and fought bravely. She fought for time with those she loved. She never complained. Shortly after my husband Maartin met my mom and witnessed first-hand her remarkable courage in the face of adversity, he said “she has the spirit of a voortrekker woman who walked kaalvoet (barefoot) over the Drakensberg”. She most certainly did! Dad was always by her side. During the last and steepest stretch of her journey, Dad carried her in what was the ultimate testament of the beautiful and unconditional love they shared. From the top of that mountain we can now look back with clarity on what was, in mom’s own words, “a near-perfect life”.

Thank you to all of you who touched her life in a special way. As we now continue our journey along the plateau, we take her with us in our hearts and minds, remembering her in every kind word and good deed, every crescent moon, every little sunbeam… Rest in peace our darling mommy, we will love you for eternity!