“I will always remember her smile and her big round happy eyes,” sniffed Amory Vermeulen.
On April 14, Mr Vermeulen lost his friend, his fiancé and love in a tragic hit and run.
Theresa Joubert had been riding home on her motorcycle after work, when a Jeep struck her on Drakensberg Drive. The motorist sped off, trying to escape his crime, as Theresa died on the scene.
Despite the fact that the motorist was caught and charged with culpable homicide, Theresa’s loved ones are still forced to deal with the void which now fills their hearts.
Nadia Seedat, Theresa’s employer at Handbag and Luggage, said Theresa was more than an employee and colleague. “Theresa was with us since the store opened in December 2013 and was part of the family. She was extremely close to my children.”
Still reeling from the shock, she said she had received a call from police shortly after the collision. “A police officer called me and asked if I knew Theresa. I was asked to supply the police with contact details for her family. While I knew Theresa had been in an accident, the officer would not tell me how bad it was until he had spoken to a member of her family.”
Worried, Mrs Seedat’s husband rushed to Drakensberg Drive. “My husband phoned me to tell me that Theresa was gone,” she said.
Devastated at the loss, Mrs Seedat said she would forever remember Theresa as a bubbly person who was filled with laughter and smiles.
“Theresa was a phenomenal woman; she was caring to everyone. She had so much love and consideration for others. She will forever be in our hearts”
Mr Vermeulen, Theresa’s fiancé, said he and Theresa had known each other for seven years before their friendship had flourished into love.
“We were engaged on January 1 this year and she was an angel. I don’t believe there is an angel as beautiful as Theresa or has her personality.”
He said Theresa was a truly caring person who went out of her way to help others. “When she died and I broke the news to my children, they were broken,” he cried.
Rookshana Mooidheen, a colleague and friend of Theresa, was just as devastated at the loss. “We will never forget her great big smile and how she touched our hearts for a little while. Now heaven will be brighter place when she arrives.”
Theresa’s funeral will take place on Thursday, April 23, at the Newcastle Crematorium from 11am.
