The founder and owner of Fish Hoek Tourism, Angela Botha, died on December 11 after battling a short illness.
According to her husband Paul, she had developed edema, which is swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in the body’s tissues.
The edema was largely brought on by a lack of exercise, as Angela was too afraid to return to her normal walking routine when lockdown restrictions lifted because of the baboons in Kommetjie, reports The False Bay Echo.
In a Facebook post, Paul wrote a sweet dedication to his late wife.
“My Darly and I always considered ourselves the ‘Lucky Ones’ for finding true love late in our lives and we spent 10 wonderful years growing together, learning from each other’s previous experiences and enjoying adventures and journeys that neither us would have had if we’d not met,” he wrote.
“She was my best friend, confident and companion; a wonderful mother to her children and a tireless campaigner and activist for the many causes she was passionate about. She was justifiably proud of the part she played in the international launch of the Puma sportswear range while living in Europe in the ’80s; founding and running the Fish Hoek Tourism office in the early 2000s and for promoting Alternative Health modalities by successfully staging the Celebrate Life Festival in Cape Town earlier this decade, among initiatives that improved the lives of others.”
Paul thanked the medical staff at Groote Schuur for looking after her in her last days, and allowing him to be by her side.
He concluded: “While her bright and inquiring mind, quirky sense of humour, and unconditional support for everything I did will be sorely missed, there remains a huge amount to celebrate during the time we had together.”