MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Christine van Rensburg sadly passed away on 2 September 2020, aged 80.
Having been such a loved member of our community and one who contributed so much to Mossel Bay we wanted to share some moments of her life - none of which would ever do justice in describing the amazing person she was.
Christine entered this world as a free spirit on 21 March 1940, born in London, United Kingdom. She was one of God’s angels from the day she arrived, every single day she lived her life, displaying those qualities throughout her life until the day she departed to be with Him again.
Being born in the early days of World War II, with the city of London being unsafe for children during that time, and with her parents focused on survival with their small printing business, she was sent in her very early days to live with her uncles, aunts and cousins outside London, in Hertfordshire, and only saw her parents on weekends.
Christine, being an only child, her cousins Derek and Gillian became like her brother and sister and they deepened that mutual love and adoration throughout her life, despite her move to South Africa in the 1960s.
In her young days back in London, in her early 20s, she worked in the film industry for extra money. One film in particular had a star cast, with Anthony Quinn and Gregory Peck, where Christine was a swimmer in some of the scenes – a film called Guns of Navarone.
She never liked being on stage or being the centre of attention, but her irresistible, outgoing personality put her in that position many times throughout her life.
Love of her life
In her mid-20s, in 1966 to be precise, she travelled to South Africa by boat, on holiday, and spent a few months in Cape Town, where she socialised in various circles, one of which unfolded to be the family and friends of the love of her life (to be), Claude van Rensburg.
Claude was living in Mossel Bay at the time, having grown up in Villiersdorp and Stellenbosch. He had five sisters and a brother, most of whom lived in and around Cape Town, and these were the socialites that Christine met in her early days of her South African chapter ... a chapter which started as a holiday and continued for the rest of her life.
She fell in love with South Africa, its people and most importantly with Claude.
Claude married Christine in December 1972, when their life started together – in Mossel Bay. She was 32 years old and he was older, but despite their age difference, and given their mutual zest for life, their desire for family soon saw them with two whippersnappers, John (b.1974) and Fraser (b.1975).
These two boys’ longest memories are of their home in Long Street, Mossel Bay, as that was their only family home, where Christine lived for 43 years.
Both sons were born there.
Claude extended the home from a holiday home to a family home in 1974. They shared all their family memories there. Claude and Christine’s entire married life was very happily lived out there, and Christine lived in this home for another 24 years after Claude passed away.
When she eventually moved from Mossel Bay to KwaZulu-Natal in 2015, the family were sad to let go, but hold on tightly to the many memories made and celebrated at 65 Long Street.
Claude was Christine’s true love - a real gentleman, kindhearted, deeply caring for others, and a family man to the core. He was remembered fondly by the Mossel Bay community for many years after he passed away in 1991.
He was a chartered accountant in Mossel Bay, advising companies and clients on their finances and taxes and had a great reputation as an astute business person. As their children grew older, he wanted more time with them and less travel, so he and Christine started a new business focused on their mutual passion for property – Mossel Bay Estate Agents (MBEA).
They brokered residential properties in the region, but also used MBEA as a foundation for their various property developments and refurbishments, which they did together until Claude died in 1991.
Widowed
This was a young age for Christine to be widowed. She was 51.
Despite the deep sadness, she somehow found strength, knew she needed to support her two sons, and wanted to contribute to the community she had become a part of. And, wow, did she meaningfully contribute!
Not only was she the most unbelievable, loving, nurturing mother, a single parent for the rest of her years, but she also fought to get back her zest for life, which must have been tough to do. This allowed her to follow her dream, which she shared with Claude: a passion for property.
She did property with such excellence that she became one of the leading developers and refurbishers in the Southern Cape – with a special passion for old Mossel Bay sandstone buildings in need of repair. Some buildings she acquired included Searle’s Manor and Searle’s Terrace, examples of buildings she would finance, refurbish and either let or sell.
A number of these buildings may have been beyond repair today had she not stepped in at the time. Now they may last another 50+ years!
Claude and Christine had launched themselves into giving, having been members of Lions and Roundtable, and later on both holding leadership roles at Rotary International, a global network of over 1.2 million friends, business leaders, and problem solvers – focused on international peace, fighting disease, education for the poor, and many other great causes.
Christine was the first woman inducted into the Rotary Club of Mossel Bay and was president from 1995 to 1996, and served as assistant district governor subsequently. Claude was president from 1989 to 1990.
In recognition of the work Christine did in Rotary and in her personal and business life, Mossel Bay Rotary Club presented her with two Paul Harris awards, in 1999 and 2001.
Christine's son, Fraser, his wife, Chevaun, and their four children (her grandchildren) Rio, Harley, Gigi and Cruz.
Remarkable woman
Sadly, Christine’s elder son, John, passed away at age 38 in 2012. This was something few parents would fully recover from, and it’s hard to say whether she ever got back to her full self again after this.
But she did once again find another happy chapter to fulfil her - her new family, the Tyacks, which she gained in Fraser marrying Chevaun.
In 2015, Christine moved to Ballito, KZN, to be closer to her family – the new South African home base for Fraser and Chevaun, and the home of her new family who had grown to love and care for Christine as one of their own.
She lived in a beautiful secure housing estate and made many new friends – something that had come so naturally to her through every chapter of her life. Some health challenges she faced by 2017 saw the family transition Christine to a new home, called Somerset Lodge Care Centre in Umhlanga, where she lived for the last three years.
She had never viewed herself as old, and couldn’t envision the life that she ended up with, but the care at Somerset was second to none, and she soon settled in and grew to love, yet again, a new set of friends – carers and residents alike.
Her last few years could not have been in a more caring, loving and comfortable home than Somerset Lodge, and the messages from her friends there are once again testament to the remarkable woman she was.
Through all her life, Christine’s greatest gift was a love for people. Rarely, if ever, did anyone hear Christine say a bad word about others. She believed every person on this planet should have an equal and fair chance in life. She always said: “We’re all born under one sky”, and she had REAL compassion for her loved ones and those in need. She really knew how to LOVE others - and did so with no boundaries.
She sadly passed away on 2 September 2020, at the age of 80, having lived a full and blessed life – and leaves behind Fraser, Chevaun, and their four children (her grandchildren) Rio, Harley, Gigi and Cruz.
The messages her family have received since she passed away, describing the positive impact she had on people’s lives, people she knew well, through to people she knew less well, have been absolutely humbling. She truly was one of God’s gifts to everyone whose life she touched, and her legacy remains with us always.
Christine’s ashes will return to Mossel Bay in 2021, to be buried next to Claude and John in the Garden of Remembrance at the Anglican Church, at which time the family plan to hold a small memorial service to celebrate her life.
May this beautiful angel that God lent to us for 80 years, now rest in peace. Thank you for all that you gave to us Christine. Until we see that beautiful smile again, WE LOVE YOU.
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