Die Jeffreysbaai Genealogie en Geselsgroep het onlangs afskeid geneem van 'n toegewyde lid van die groep - 'n regte "gentleman".
Hier volg 'n uittreksel uit die huldeblyk gelewer deur sy seun Grant:
Godfried Abel Potgieter was born on the 26th September 1937, and died on the 15th May 2016.
His father died when he was only 5 years old, and so he was raised by his blind mother.
 |
| As a little boy |
Dad was a keen scout, and in his young days, he joined the Uitenhage scout group, first as a cub, going on to scouts and later becoming a scout master.
His little grey mini was often packed to double its height with pioneering poles and camping equipment off to some or other scout camp.
He has two siblings, Linda and Lourens.
Mom and dad met on the 07h30 train from Uitenhage to Port Elizabeth. Both stayed in Uitenhage and worked in Port Elizabeth.
My parents met in October 1962 and in the December of 1962, dad proposed to mom, who turned him down, as she felt that they had just met and didn’t really know each other. In March of 1963, dad tried again and this time mom said yes. They were married in March 1964. Nine months and 6 days later, I made my appearance.
After school dad did his apprentice as a Millwright. He then received a bursary to UCT where he went to study Mechanical engineering.
Dad loved to make things . Give him a challenge and he would come up with a solution. Dad made many things, most of which did not look like much, but they worked.
He used to say: "I have always said that a Mechanical engineer is no artist. There is a reason that we have designers and artists."
Dad worked on the London underground for 6 months.
He mainly spent his life working for the South African Railways, in Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage, Johannesburg, Pretoria and East London. |
| Collage by Rob McCleland |
During his early working career, he also spent 3 years working for the Uitenhage Municipality.
Mom and Dad retired to St Francis Bay in 1996.
Dad was a kind person, always going out of his way to help others. I would often say to him when driving with him to keep on the road. He would pull so far over on to the left so as to let someone pass, that he would almost land in the ditch at the side of the road. I would say to him, if you land in the ditch, no one is going to say what a kind old man. Rather, they are going to say, does the man need new glasses so he can see where he is driving. But that was dad.
While in St Francis Bay, dad was a member of the Bowls club, Krom trust, Bird club, Genealogical group, Forcade group and CREW.
Dad will always be remembered for his bird feeders and his indigenous garden.
Godfried word oorleef deur sy eggenote Isabel, sy seun Grant, (getroud met Connie en kleinkinders Sabrina en James) , dogter Leigh en seun Craig (getroud met Cheryl en hul kinders Hannah en Tannith) wat in Wellington NZ bly.
