VN July 2023

Vetnews | Julie 2023 25 It is not written chronologically and can, therefore, not be regarded as an autobiography. However, it makes fascinating reading. It includes information on the many visits Japie, and Hannalah made to other countries, especially to New Zealand, which became the new motherland of most of their many descendants. Japie was also a talented poet, one of his books being a volume of verse. Only one book was in Afrikaans, the others in English. It stands to reason that Japie was highly rated by organised agriculture and scientific organisations. He received the following awards in Zimbabwe: • In 1997 a silver medal from the Zimbabwean Society for Animal Production. • In 2001 a Meritorious Award from the Zimbabwe Animal and Grassland Society. • In 2003 The Farming Oscar from the ‘Commercial Farmers Union’. Japie and Hannalah lost two of their sons in Zimbabwe before she died in 2015. Their eldest son Alfred, a medical doctor, died in 2008 and their second youngest son, Martin, a farmer, in 1996. Their second son, James, is a practising veterinarian in South Africa, and their youngest child, Jacob (fondly known as Kiewiet), is a computer boffin, also in South Africa. The daughters, Annalie and Carolie and their families eventually emigrated to New Zealand, where they flourished. Despite being unwell, Japie decided to visit the now burgeoning family there in April this year to enjoy the pleasant company of his multitudinous descendants, which included a growing number of great-grandchildren, the entire extended family, including those residing in southern Africa, totalling an impressive 40 individuals. However, he somehow contracted pneumonia and, despite excellent care, died on 26 April 2023 at the age of 91. Japie was not only an excellent veterinarian but also an exceptional person. His sincerity, loyalty, charming personality, and genuine friendliness. With a disarming smile, he ensured that he made many friends. The four survivors of the Class of 1953 (Rudolph Bigalke, Jean du Plessis, Margaret Rose and Johan Schutte) will miss him very much. So will his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. May they be consoled by the fact that they had a beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather who was so special and unique that his memory, like his writings, will live on in their lives. Rudolph Bigalke, James Jackson, Jacob Jackson In Memoriam