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Feb 2016
The Editor
VetNews
Please allow us to add some fond personal memories to the recently published obituary of Hym Ebedes.
Hym Ebedes (Hymie, to his colleagues), was a very private and modest person and very loyal to his friends. He was
born in Ermelo in June 1936 and “remembered that it was very cold!” He jokingly referred to himself as the only
English-speaking Boere-Jood in the Hoërskool Ermelo where he matriculated. His somewhat exceptional arrival
at Onderstepoort as a 2nd year student was early one morning on the back of a “nagkar” (older colleagues will be
acquainted with the term!) joined by future classmate “Ford” Bezuidenhout.
As a cultivated person he was a lover of good music and good wine. I remember the impromptu celebrations we
occasionally had as students after finishing examinations listening to his George Feyer piano recordings while enjoying
a glass of jeripigo and his company in his hostel room.
Not long after qualifying in the later fifties he invited us for a meal at a restaurant in Springs where he practised at the
time and treated us with caviar amongst other delicacies. After that our paths separated for a number of years. Like
most of his colleagues he tried out several avenues of our profession before
finally settling for a career in managing and treating wild animals. In this he
became a well-known expert, as was well-documented in the obituary submitted
by the Ebedes family.
During the last few years we were his only classmates left in Pretoria and we
sometimes enjoyed pizzas together at the open-air restaurant in Magnolia Dell
where his wife Audrey once joined in. Being a vegetarian he even wrote a book
based on his feelings of empathy for a poor lobster that he saw in a restaurant
aquarium somewhere, and which was not only in captivity but also oblivious
of its eventual fate to be prepared for consumption. This was submitted to
publishers but we do not know the outcome.
After a heart attack some years ago, a successful cardiac bypass was
performed and he joined us for our 50-year class reunion in 2008. More
recently spells of incapacitating gout plagued him. In July 2015 he ended up in
the ICU with severe pleural effusion following a flu attack, but recovered well
only to collapse and die suddenly on 24th November 2015 aged 79.
Colleagues Neels & Ingrid Roos
v
Briewe
I Letters
In Memoriam
A list of veterinarians, both SAVA members and non-members, who
passed away recently. Non-veterinarians who made a positive impact on
the profession are also included. Please provide us with information you
might have in this regard.
The following colleague passed away recently:
Dr Nicolene C. Swanepoel
31/03/1962 – 09/01/2016
We honour her contribution to our profession and society in general.
Our sincerest condolences to the family and loved ones!
v
Letters
I
Briewe
•••
LETTER FROM ...
Colleagues Neels & Ingrid Roos
As a cultivated person he was
a lover of good music and good
wine. I remember the impromptu
celebrations we occasionally
had as students after finishing
examinations listening to his
George Feyer piano recordings
while enjoying a glass of
jeripigo and his company in his
hostel room.