With the passing of Geelwors Nicolas John Brits on October 6, Middelburg has lost a loving father, an adoring brother, a compassionate resident and above all, a proud grandfather.
Known through his work in sales at Big Time Fluids Floor and Sealing, Geelwors will be remembered by many as a warm and inviting man who always tried to put a smile on people’s faces.
On August 18, Geelwors had surgery at the Witbank Hospital to deal with an ulcer. Unfortunately, the effect the ulcer had on his stomach was severe, with him spending 10 days in the ICU at the Middelburg Provincial Hospital.
His cause of death is believed to be from the resulting septicaemia.
Geelwors, The Family Man
The delight of Geelwors’ life was his family, with his daughter, Lindi van Rooyen, his sister, Kathleen Browne, his brother, John Brits, and especially his granddaughter, Liah van Rooyen, who he always lovingly referred to as his ‘Prag kleinkind’.
The Middelburg Observer spoke with Lindi, who described her father as an unconventional man who was ever so soft and gentle.
“When I was a little girl, I looked up to my father. I couldn’t wait for him to come and pick me up from school so I could ride with him on his motorcycle.”
The birth of his granddaughter, Liah, massively shifted the priorities in his life.
“The doctors told me that I would never be able to have a child, so it was a miracle when I fell pregnant with Liah. She ended up being a premature baby, and because of that, she was so, so small that he was afraid to touch her, let alone pick her up.”
Now two years old, Liah would always light up when seeing Geelwors, “At first, Liah was a bit shy, but dad always wore this feather earring, so when Liah saw him and his feather, she would just have the best smile.”
The Middelburg Observer also spoke to close family friend Angela Coersmeier about the lasting impact Geelwors had on people’s lives, “Let me put it like this… for every beggar standing on the side of the road that people would drive past without any thought, there would be two or three people from the streets on his couch with a hot meal, sharing a laugh over old stories.”
Angela emphasised that through even his own sickness or troubles, he would always try to make others happy.
“There was once a woman that he brought home so she could collect all his empty bags, and before she left, he told her to take anything she needed out of the kitchen.”
How Geelwors Got His Name
As a free spirit, Geelwors was drawn to the life of a biker. He was a member of the Innocent Victims outfit and kept in contact with former clubmates daily, even with Geelwors taking a step back and many old friends moving across the country and overseas.
And as a biker, you are REQUIRED to have a nickname. This is how Geelwors got his; In the early 1990s, Geelwors’ parent’s house was home to all his biker friends, brothers and sisters.
During one particular party, a friend by the name of George, better known as ‘Baloo’ because of his love of the Jungle Book’s iconic “Bare Necessities” song, had a little too much to drink.
As a hospitable host would, Geelwors brought forth some snacks, and when Baloo saw him carrying a bowl of bananas, he became confused.
Baloo’s confusion turned into curiosity and led him to pose the following question to his pal, “Waar het jy geel wors gekry?”
This was the birth of a legendary nickname for a legendary man.
In fact, he was so fond of this nickname that a few years ago, he decided to head to the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality and have it legally changed.
So, on his ID card, it reads Geelwors Nicolas John Brits.
In Loving Memory
In an emotional letter shared to the public from his daughter Lindi, she wrote the following, “The one thing my Dad always told me was, ‘My girl, if you ever wonder who your best advisors are, just listen to the music of Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Neil Young and Don McLean and most of the music of the era 1950 – 1975, they are my advisors and friends. Life will have many problems, take each one of them just one at a time and they will be solved.’ That’s just how he lived.”
Geelwors’ memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 12, at 11:00 by Toe Word Ons Dors.
A gathering of his biker friends will take place at 10:30 at the Midwater Shopping Centre to honour Geelwors with one last ride.
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