Yakima Waner writes by email:
I am writing this letter in celebration of my uncle Jeffrey Waner who was laid to rest on June 30.
There are so many memories one can share about a loved one such as my uncle.
My father, Ernest Waner, shares stories of Jeff as a young brother full of mischief and style – being one of the first to drive an E-Type Jaguar on the East Rand.
On the other hand, he also dotes about how compassionate his brother became to the elderly.
For nearly 20 years my uncle looked forward to taking the Jewish elderly from Sandringham Gardens Old Age Home to the Brakpan Shul on a Saturday for a day’s outing, where he also prepared a brocha (meal) for them.
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He brought immense joy to some who never received visitors and had no family left.
My uncle also took a lot of pride in looking after the Brakpan Jewish Cemetery, a job who many sadly overlook, but Jeff saw the importance and respect in looking after the place where souls come to rest.
My father and aunt, Matilda Rosowsky, have told me so many stories about how Jeff went out of his way to humbly aid others.
He was a very proud Brakpanite who felt a lot of passion for the community and even worked beside my father to try and establish a university for the youth of Brakpan and Ekurhuleni, which hopefully one day will become a reality.
I grew up in the Waner’s store and therefore grew up with my uncle.
I always saw him as the sheriff in our lives. He didn’t have to play dress up, he was just a natural-born cowboy.
My father introduced the Western-themed apparel into a renowned shoe retail family, but my uncle was the one who gave it life.
The shops, the staff and the customers meant the world to him and he must have travelled thousands of miles throughout his life to make sure our doors opened for business.
Jeff had this way of making our customers feel like family and had so many friends who really adored him – and such a variety of people from different worlds.
Jeffrey never had a bad word to say about anyone, he didn’t judge. He just allowed people to be who they were.
He was a good man who loved his wife, his children and was beyond proud of his grandchildren.
I became a lot closer to my uncle as I got older and over the last few years he really encouraged me to be the best I can be.
He was a great fan of mine, always complimenting my humanitarian work and documentaries.
Because of my uncle and my father I was able to open an interracial school on the Brakpan Shul grounds for children who face xenophobia, abuse and inequality.
They helped us in memory of the Holocaust children who were also denied an education and even life due to anti-Semitism.
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If it wasn’t for my uncle’s suggestion of using the Shul grounds we would have lost our donated container school.
My uncle became a hero to many children without him even knowing it, as he was extremely humble. They will forever celebrate his soul for that.
The fact that our sheriff is no longer with us is a shock, but he truly left like a cowboy, galloping away quick and sudden.
Today, he is our guardian angel looking down and protecting us all.
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