Capetonians awoke to the sad news that the city’s oldest resident, Fredie Blom, aged 116, has passed away this morning, 22 August 2020. The news was broken by Doreen Morris, an accredited television anchor and presenter via Twitter.
Oom Fredie Blom, 116, went to his eternal rest at 6am this morning. “He has fought the good fight, he has finished the course, he has kept the faith” It is well. #RIPFredieBlom ?️?️?️
?Unknown pic.twitter.com/HiGNrVM1Eu— @Doreen Morris (@DoreenMorris) August 22, 2020
Blom had lived a long and rewarding life, managing to live through the Spanish flu, both World Wars, the apartheid regime, and the current COVID-19 pandemic. He was born in the rural town of Adelaide in the Eastern Cape in 1904 but spent a majority of his life working on farms dotted around the Western Cape. Around 30 years ago Blom and his wife of 50 years, Jeanette, moved to Delft in Cape Town where they settled down.
The cause of Blom’s death has not been disclosed to the public yet, and despite Morris reporting that he had been quite ill, Blom had seemingly rallied back to his energetic self earlier this week.
“I saw him walking to the bathroom and that sight made us happy.” Morris said in a tweet.
Although he had been quite ill, he seemed to have rallied somewhat on Monday. I saw him walking to the bathroom and that sight made us happy. By Thursday he said that he had had enough and was admitted. I am thankful for the love, for lessons and that the end came quickly ?? https://t.co/fRCFcmg0Cb
— @Doreen Morris (@DoreenMorris) August 22, 2020
Our condolences go out to his friends and family.
Picture: Twitter/@UlrichJvV