Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Derek Henderson (1929-2009)


Again, I mourn the loss of a great friend in Grahamstown, South Africa. His death comes a little more than four months after his wife, Thelma, died.


Derek Henderson was the first person to greet me when I landed in South Africa for the first time in January 1998. He whisked me away for lunch with Trevor and Denise Long, and I took the first of many beautiful drives from PE to Grahamstown.


Some of my fondest memories are with Derek: walking the dog with him, arguing politics over rooibos and lemon, and learning to drive manual shift with him in the passenger seat.


I remember his kind smile, the way he would prod Thelma just enough so she would say with exasperation, "Oh, that's ridiculous."


Rest well, Derek. You were a wonderful man who will live in many hearts.


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