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2 Dec 1987 - 2 Dec 2018
2 Dec 1987 - 2 Dec 2018
In loving memory of Jolandi
In loving memory of Jolandi
Jolandi Le Roux (de Villiers) tragically passed away 2 Dec 2018 on her 31st Birthday at Chapmans Peak View Point, falling to her death whilst jumping in the air for a photo to celebrate her 31st birthday.
Jolandi was born and raised in Stellenberg and walked a long path with Ds Why Duvenhage. Her June and December school holidays she loved doing charity work and went on out reaches with Jabolani Africa Ministries. She lived a full life, passionate to give and help unprivileged children.
Jolandi was blessed with a talent for sport. Since the age 10 she had Provincial Colors in School track and/or Cross Country athletics. She was awarded the honor as Captain of the Western Province SA Athletic Team in her final year of school. Not as a result of her talent as athlete, but as a result of her talent to work with children and care for others.
But with her sudden death, Jolandi has reached 1000’s more people, more than she ever could have reached in her short life on earth.
Ds Why, or as she used to call him “Oom Why” laid her to rest. At her memorial service Landi’s love for nature, sport, people and family were shared. Her relationship with her family, the role friends and strangers played in her life, but more the role she played in their life’s were shared with all present.
She opened the eyes of so many people, young and old. Messages came in from all over the World.
At Jolandi’s memorial service friends, colleagues, family and people who’s paths crossed Landi’s shared the impact Landi has made on them with her caring, loving, laughing life on earth.
Friends shared their commitment to go “home” and spend time with their parents, to spend time with brothers and sisters that they never have “time” for, cause they “too busy”. Parents commit to make time for their children, families want to re-unite..... time is too short, our time is not God’s time. Live life to the full, God don’t asked you when you ready, God takes you to Heaven without warning. He takes you when he needs you. He does what is best for you.
2 December....... the day she was born, the day she passed away....
A phone phone call at 17:11.... the drive to Chapman’s Peak View Point, the wait, the dark, the rain...
Andrew, her husband, risk his life, climbing down the mountain looking for Landi. He went as close as two meters from her, but just too far to reach her. The only thing that stopped Landi from falling another few meters into the sea was a tree branch in the cliff. He called her name .......she didn’t respond. He stood till rescue workers arrived at the scene.
Her brother, or as Landi used to call him, BOETA... was left devastated on the mountain that evening, waiting for news on his sister. Prayers were going up ...... eight hours later we all left empty handed, heartbroken, God has taken our Landi (daughter, sister, wife, grandchild, friend, colleague) to Heaven. God saved Landi.
Her granddad arrived at midnight on the mountain....Oupa’s first words will always stay with me.... Why didn’t God rather take me, I had my time on earth. She is still so young.
But once again, our time is not God’s time...
Rescue services went out of their way to try and rescue her body. Numerous attempts had to be stopped or diverted as it was too dangerous. Sea Rescue, Wildernis Search and Rescue, Cape Mountain Rescue.... they did everything possible to recover her body.
Hout Bay community arrived with food and coffee, blankets and warm clothes for rescue workers, family and friends waiting for news in the dark cold.
As family of Jolandi, we want to follow her dreams and live her life on earth by starting a fund to help unprivileged children to make a success in life. To support those in need, who don’t have a family that can help them.
HERBERG CHILDREN’S HOME in Robertson, Western Cape South Africa was the charity we have chosen.
The reason why we have decided on this Orphanage is because Die Herberg was Jolandi’s oupa’s home as a child. The same Oupa that arrived at midnight on the mountain. Jolandi’s Oupa played a huge role in raising Landi to the child/young women she was. She looked up to her Oupa, she loved him so dearly.
We want her legacy to live on. She had a heart of gold. We want to do it for her.
Her stepfather, Ernest, or as she used to called him often, “ou man” is doing a yearly fund raising cycle event for the HERBERG CHILDREN’S HOME.
This year he will dedicate his contribution to the LOVING MEMORY OF JOLANDI. She was the one who encouraged him to do his first tour eight years ago and followed his progress every day, every year.
As the Children’s Home is a registered NPO, people donating money to the IN LOVING MEMORY OF JOLANDI’s fund can obtain a certificate for tax purposes.
As family we want to say THANK YOU for every message of support we have received, every phone call, flowers, visit, but most importantly the love we received every day since her accident 2 Dec 2018.
“No farewell words were spoken;
No time to say good bye;
You were gone before we know it;
And only God knows why”
Last tribute from Andrew
Last tribute from Andrew
With a crowd like this here today, I am going to assume there are many here that I have not had the chance to meet, or cross paths with. I am Andrew, the man who could not have been more blessed to be married to Jolandi, and the most proud husband in the world!
Thank you:
I would like to start with a few of my own thank you’s, with more to come later in the memorial.
Firstly, I would like to thank the Wilderness Mountain Rescue Team, the NSRI, EMS, the volunteers, and the community of Hout Bay. (apologies if I have not mentioned a team) With all odds against them, they continued late into the night, in ensuring they brought our Jolandi back to us – 7 hours later. For the support they gave us right through the process. To those that were able to get to the scene and provide support, the family, the friends and in particular Nicky & Les – thank you!
To everyone that is here today, I just know how grateful and shocked at the same time Jolandi would be to see so much support and people celebrating her life. Jolandi had been saying for weeks leading up to her birthday that maybe this year she should organise a big birthday bash with lots of people because she hasn’t done it in years. It never worked out that way – the 2 of us woke up, shared our usual promenade walk to grab a coffee, a breakfast with her family, followed by an incredibly special lunch with just the 2 of us at our favorite restaurant, Cape Point Vineyards.
It wasn’t quite the big birthday bash that she had spoken of leading up to her special day, but it all makes so much sense now, and here we are having the celebration she had thought of – all celebrating her incredible life together – and I bet she hadn’t thought THIS big – so thank you all for being here. And I ask that you all please go through this with that mindset of this being her special celebration, but not only for a year, but a whole lifes celebration.
To dominee Why, you have now been with us for the happiest day of my life, and now the hardest day of my life. A year agowhen I sat in your office at the church sharing plans for our wedding dreams, never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined sitting in that same office a year later planning for extremely different circumstances. I will never forget the message you delivered at our wedding, nor the message today – thank you!
To our families, we could not have asked for more from either of you. Both families accepted us right from day one, and have shared a million special times together with us that I will embrace forever. I thank Jolandi for giving me another family, a better family I could not wish for. My love, they will forever be our family, and we will continue to share in all the special occasions that we always had.
Jolandi:
Jolandi, Landi, Jolla, Sissie, Lands, Squeeze, Baby…my absolute beautiful princess.
From the day I met you, it was SO SO clear who you were, what was important to you, and just everything that made you the beautiful soul that you are – it was SO damn easy to fall for you!!
I could not have been a more proud man to call you my WIFE!!
Jolandi had this ability to walk into a room, and just light it up with her beautiful smile and contagious bright personality. It was this smile that I probably owe to bringing us together. Jolandi and I met at the canals on a Friday morning at 6am while in her wetsuit, and lets be honest, not the most attractive conditions to meet a girl. Swim cap, goggle rings around her eyes, tight wetsuit, morning breath, and to top it off, splattering around in the water like a seal in distress. She was a multi talented sports women, but swimming did not fall into that list unfortunately – sorry love.
Despite this incredibly not so glamorous picture I have created in all your minds, Jolandi STILL shone through and stole my heart in an instance!!
I have no doubt everyone here can genuinely relate to what I am saying, as this has got to be the most common thread that has come through on all messages – “The beautiful, happy, soul, that could light up any room, and has the most contagious smile!
Jolandi had many passions, and was extremely talented and gifted in so many ways!!!
• Her sport and love for adventure from a very young age;
This was definitely her happy place! A place where she would go to reflect, unwind, let off some steam, get competitive, and a place where the 2 of us would spend quality time together.
When it came to sport, she had this incredible ability to either go “balls to the wall”, one time even passing out at the finish line of a race because she forgot to breath in the finish straight…and then also the ability to just participate for fun, even if it meant being out there all day to get a friend to the finish line.
When she wasn’t participating, she was an AVID supporter. I am willing to put money on it, and there are a LOT of sports people in this room today, that EVERY single one of you at some point during a race, has heard Jolandi screaming for you on the sideline.
She was definitely my number one supporter, and got me over MANY finish lines!
• Jolandis commitment, discipline, and genuine love for her job, all of which has resulted in her continuously progressing year after year in her exciting career journey she was on, one that I have no doubts destination was the very top.
• Jolandi had an incredible love and appreciation for good food and wine, and only recently (thanks to uCook), became a decent cook too. (sorry my love)
• My love, you had such appreciation for everything, even the smallest things in life!! No simple beauty or moment would pass without you making mention of it;
A comment on how beautiful the mountain looks today, how pretty the sunrise looks (even on a cloudy day), how cute the ugliest looking dog on the promenade was, and in particular, the comments she would pass on every single baby she would see. Everything was always noticed and appreciated!
• Jolandi took such pride and care in herself, and no matter the occasion, never failed to be the most beautiful, pretty women in a room. Sweaty training kit, every day to work, morning wake ups – her beauty never filed to amaze me, finding myself sometimes just staring at her amazed by her beauty, and that I was her lucky other half. • My love, your biggest gift was the wife and best friend you were to me EVERY SINGLE DAY!! The vows you shared a year ago – you have lived up to them every single day!!! You were my absolute everything, and right now I have no idea how I am going to get through this without you!! It was you that always got me through the most challenging of times.
Thank you for giving me and sharing the best 4 years of my life with me my angel – I wouldn’t change one single thing! Thank you for your patience and sticking with me through the tough times.
Thank you for showing me the deepest meaning of love there is.
I promise to continue to live my life knowing you with me forever, sharing in our passions, your values, and appreciate all the things I know you still dreamt of doing!!
Thank you to everyone that has played a role in Jolandi’slife in making her who she was and bringing her such happiness, to her parents (and now my parents too), for bringing her to this earth and sharing her with me for the last 4 years.
I am deeply sorry I could not catch her when she needed me most, and that it couldn’t rather have been me – the beautiful soul did not deserve this!!
Baby, I will forever love you with all my heart!!!
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