This is how his daughter, Tashiani Padiachy Dhir, remembers her father.
The 64-year-old Westdene resident died on September 20, at the Life the Glynnwood Hospital.
He had a terminal heart condition which resulted in organ failure.
Padiachy was born in Heidelberg and lived there until the age of 14, when he moved to Benoni, in 1965.
He could not speak English when he moved to Benoni as his home language was Afrikaans.
He taught himself English and eventually made it onto his school’s debating and drama activities.
He matriculated from William Hills High School, in Actonville, and started his career as an insurance broker
In 1977, Padiachy married Pat, who relocated to Benoni from Newcastle.
The two owned the Boksburg Florist in the ’70s, a Milky Lane and florist at Lakeside Mall and Poppadum’s Tandoori, in Northmead and Lakefield.
Padiachy was also instrumental in raising huge sums of money over the years as an auctioneer.
“In total it can be estimated that he collected about R1,5-million for temples such as Actonville, Heidelberg, Vereeniging and Melrose,” said his daughter.
He leaves behind his wife Pat, son Vinay Padiachy, daughter and son-in-law Ravi Dhir.
Padiachy’s funeral was held on Monday, September 21, at St Joseph’s Hall, Actonville.
