MBOMBELA – Shirley Elsie Swanepoel (née Lawrence), a well-known and beloved resident of White River, passed away on Saturday December 28, 2019, at Nelspruit Mediclinic.
A Lowvelder to the core, Shirley loved the outdoors, spending her youth rock-sliding at Montrose Falls, clambering up Legogote, playing tennis at the Planter’s Club and enjoying many trips to her beloved Kruger National Park, which she referred to as “the Game Reserve”.
She had a passion for local history and was proud of her heritage. She was the granddaughter of Thomas WH Lawrence, who was the founder and first manager of the “Milner Settlement”, where the town of White River flourishes today.
Her maternal grandfather was Robert M Robertson, architect of many landmark buildings in Stellenbosch, Cape Town and Gauteng. Her brother was Bobby Lawrence, the well-known Lowveld sculptor.
Shirley was one of the original pupils of “Miss Fuller’s School” near Plaston. This school would later become Uplands Preparatory School. She matriculated from Pretoria Girls High, after which she obtained a secretarial qualification in Johannesburg.
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She started work at White River Fruit Growers before leaving South Africa to live and work in England and Canada. While in England, she was delighted to be invited to attend the Royal Garden Party at for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth.
Upon her return to South Africa, she married “Bill” Swanepoel in 1959. They were married for
45 years, until Bill’s death in 2004.
Upon her father’s retirement, they took over the farming of the family farm. Shirley is survived by their children Heather, Billy and Jack and granddaughters Teya and Agena.
Many in White River will remember her for the years she worked at the White River Municipal Library, a job she loved. She loved chatting to the regulars and helping the children with their projects. She was honoured by the Rotary Club of White River with a community service award for her dedicated work at the library.
Her enduring love of the Kruger National Park was such that she would use any excuse to visit. She was a loyal supporter of the Sunset Serenades, held in aid of rhino conservation, the initiative of a close relative and organised by the honorary rangers.
Shirley was a very active member of the community of White River and readily volunteered to help when needed, whether to shake a collection box in front of the post office or with church activities. The Anglican Church awarded her the Order of St Joseph the Worker for exceptional service to the church and to the community over a long period of time. There are only ever a maximum of 12 people in the Diocese that can hold this award at one time.
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She was a member of various societies including the Lowveld Botanical Society, 1820 Settlers’ Association, Mpumalanga Heritage Society and the Friends of the MOTHs. At Macadamia Village White River, she also never missed any of the arranged activities.
An avid sportswatcher until admitted to hospital, she never missed a tennis, cricket, golf, rugby or soccer match on TV.
Shirley was an adventurous and intrepid traveller, travelling to Europe and Canada in her youth, Zimbabwe and Mozambique as a young mother and Egypt, Israel and Cambodia in her senior years.
Loyal, curious, interested, adventurous, helping, caring, concerned for others, on-the-go and a “bok for sports” are words that come to mind when her family and friends describe Shirley, along with “a wonderful sense of humour”. But more often than those, the word “amazing” crops up.
The funeral service was held at St George’s Anglican Church, White River, on Saturday January 4.
She will be sorely missed. She will be ever remembered.
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