Johannes Diderick Nel was born on September 28, 1937, in the district of Lydenburg.
He attended a small farm school and later Lydenburg High School, where he matriculated in 1955.
Hansie, as he was known, came to the East Rand directly after school and did his apprenticeship in Edenvale, as a barber.
He opened his own shop in Homestead.
In 1959, he married Zelma Juliana Neuhoff.
A daughter, Erika, was born to the couple in 1961.
A few years later Hansie moved his business to Rietfontein Road, in Primrose, across the street from Enterprise Dry Cleaners.
He was one of the founding members of the Primrose Angling Club and served as chairman for many years.
He received provincial colours for angling, for both the then Transvaal and Western Transvaal.
Fourteen years after their daughter was born, Hansie and Zelma were blessed with another child, a son, Johan, in 1975.
In 1978, Hansie moved the shop in Rietfontein Road to its present location, in the same street.
At a point in time there was a huge stuffed lion in the window exhibit – this was later sold to a travel agency in Athens.
Zelma was diagnosed with brain cancer in 1981, when their son was still very young.
She passed away in 2005.
Hansie served the public as a barber for 60 years, but his heath deteriorated and, about four years ago, he was diagnosed with heart failure.
He spent three weeks in ICU at the Bedfordview Clinic and had a long a difficult time recovering from the episode.
Although Hansie could no longer work actively as a barber over the last year, he insisted on going to the shop every working day, even though he was on oxygen 24 hours a day.
On April 22, he was admitted to ICU at the Life Roseacres Clinic, and passed away just after 3am, on April 27.
His memorial service was held at the NG Kerk Primrose East on May 4, where he was a deacon, and later an elder.
Hansie had two grandchildren, one from each of his children, Erna van Aswegen (30), who works as a vet in Namibia and is Erica Meyer’s child, and Johan (5), who is Johan’s child.
