Marguerite Phillips, Fish Hoek
Randall Theunissen was a wonderful character in Fish Hoek and everyone knew Randal. The small guy always willing to help and assist you but, lo and behold, when he was under the weather drinking wise, one had to stay far away.
I first met Randall when we moved to Fish Hoek mountainside and he was a vagrant, picking in my bin. I asked him not to and said I would put out all my good food for him on the night before. For months I had an outlet for all my left-overs and a little more.
He then saw my husband washing his car on the Saturday morning and asked if he could do that for him on Saturday mornings and that became the ritual.
Summertime 7.30am Randall would be there and if he was under the weather, he was sent home. We also came to an understanding that we would pay him half wages and the rest in food. He used to go from here every Saturday morning laden with groceries as my main aim was he should have food, rather than money to drink out.
My husband spent many hours having long chats with him, while washing the cars. Brenda Murrel and the ARP & P Fish Hoek was also very kind in giving him accommodation for looking after their little hall. The ladies at the clinic all knew him as he helped there as well. All my up-country visitors also got to know Randal.
Randal was indeed a very lucky person as he had a roof over his head, people who cared about him and he went to the library every day to go and read the newspapers. He was really well informed.
We will all miss him dearly, because whereever he went he put smiles on people’s faces.
Rest well in heaven and be sure you left a big void here on earth.
