Former Con Amore School teacher dies at 92

Chrissie du Plooy, a former teacher at Con Amore School, died on January 24 at the age of 92.

She was born on March 25, 1931, and she was loved and well-known for her work in the athletics department at Con Amore School.

She taught at the school from 1975 to 1993, when she retired.

Anton du Plooy, who is the youngest of her three sons, spoke to the Kempton Express.

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“My mother was one of the pioneers that helped get that school established for the severe intellectual disabilities of children as well as autistic children.

“She trained the children to play musical instruments and she taught Afrikaans,” said Anton.

Anton said the previous evening prior to the day of her death she was a bit nervous, which was uncommon because she had Alzheimer’s with not a care in the world.

“We will remember her for being a strict mother. We are seven siblings with only 13 years of difference between the oldest to the youngest. We will also remember our mother as being constructively involved in our lives.

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“She had an incredible patience to do that. She had a heart for people, especially children and was really loyal and happily married to her late husband, Willem du Plooy, who died on May 31, 1999.

“She was an inspiration for her children as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” added Anton.
Anton recalled a profound memory of his mother.

“One afternoon after work, I had to keep track of time for her during training on the track at Barnard Stadium.

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“I thought to myself, here is your old lady in her late 70s sweating it out and I as a middle-aged man don’t do anything for exercise.

“So I took to the roads in distance running, completing four Comrades among other races together with track athletics ever since. She really made a great impact on my life,” he said.

Anton said Chrissie’s hobbies consisted of collecting stamps, choir, dancing at church and gardening.

Chrissie achieved a string of top results in masters athletics, including clocking a 18.73 in the women’s (80) 100m and 02:15 in the women’s (85) 400m.

In 1992 she received national colours for the 100m for women aged 60 to 64.

In 1993 she attended the World Masters Athletic (WMA) Championship in Japan and finished fourth in the 100m event and and fifth in the 200m event.

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Then in 1995 she again participated in the world champs in Buffalo, USA, finishing fourth and fifth in her events.

In 2001 she participated in the champs in Brisbane, Australia, and won gold medal in the 4x400m relay.

In 2003 she travelled to Puerto Rico and won silver in the 400m for women aged 70 to 74 in the master champs.

In 2009, Chrissie received her national colours for women aged 75 to 78.

In 2013 she participated in the master champs in Brazil and won silver for 100m and gold for the 200m and 400m events for women aged 80 to 84.

Chrissie is survived by her seven children,17 grandchildren,19 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.