Remembering Jeff Matthee
He took time to mentor and counsel to enrich the lives of others through his wisdom and insight.
The former director of Malherbe Rigg & Ranwell (MRR) attorneys and one of the founding members of Kids Haven, Jeff Matthee, will be remembered as a passionate man who refused to settle for the mundane.
Matthee died on March 6 at the age of 68. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Sally, his children Sam, Dieter, Justin, Melissa and grandchildren Julia, Emma, Jade and Jeff.
“He was a family man. He always referred to his wife as his soulmate. He found immense joy spending time with his children and grandchildren,” said the directors of MRR.
Matthee grew up in Airfield and matriculated from Benoni High School. He served as a junior town councillor and deputy junior mayor of Benoni.
He completed a year’s national service with the Air Force before enrolling at the University of the Witwatersrand, graduating in 1976 with a B Proc degree.
The following year, he was employed by MRR initially to attend to criminal and civil matters.
“There are no words that could adequately describe the deep impact that Jeff had on our lives, MRR and the community,” they said.
“He immersed himself in every case, matter or project and demanded perfection. He was a kind and generous man.”
He will be remembered for the work he had done as the chairperson of Famsa East Rand and numerous other non-profit organisations.
During the 1994 national elections, he took a leave of absence from his professional duties to join the Peace Secretariat.
He was instrumental in acquiring and renovating a building known as Sanca Horizon’s The Bridge for the rehabilitation of adolescent drug abusers after recognising the need to address the increasing incidents of drug abuse in the community.
He further extended the project by acquiring adjoining premises called The Lodge, which was used as a halfway house for rehabilitating drug addicts.
As an active member of the Rotary Club of Benoni Van Ryn, he served as president and became the recipient of the coveted Paul Harris Fellowship in 2000.
Following his retirement in 2014, he served as the chairperson of the board for the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra, an organisation he was deeply passionate about.
“Anyone who knew Jeff knew that he was a great admirer of Mahatma Gandhi.
“Gandhi said ‘in a gentle way, you can shake the world’ and you shook it, Jeff. You will be missed by all,” said the directors.
Also Read: ERBW invited guest Jeff Matthee talks about death
