The sudden passing of Petrus Hendrik Bruyns, better known as Woesie, has prompted hundreds of tributes to pour in for a man described as an officer and a gentleman.
Woesie (56) passed away in Pretoria following a heart attack, a day after he had played cricket for the Titans veterans club. The family had relocated to Pretoria about five years ago to allow youngest daughter Cara a chance to attend a special school to help with her special needs. Born as the youngest of four siblings of the well-known Bruyns farming family of Elandskraal on May 16, 1967,
Petrus was quickly dubbed Vus’umuzi by the farm workers, which relates to him being the youngest child who will uphold and uplift the family. This was later transformed into Woesie and the name stuck ever since. He matriculated from Dundee High School and excelled in sport – especially rugby and cricket, where he was selected to represent Natal.
His brother, Hendrik, has fond memories of he and Woesie playing cricket at home until ‘we nearly put holes in the garage door’. Petrus completed his national service and was chosen for an officer’s course; obtaining the rank of second lieutenant.
He followed in the family’s footsteps by going into farming and studied at Glen Agricultural College in 1988. In 1997, he married Anel (Hendriks) and three children were born: Inge, a teacher; Hendri, who is now working in the Northern Cape; and little Cara. But it was the military that Woesie adopted as his favourite passion and through his service with the citizen force, he rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 2011 to become the first non-English-speaking officer commanding of the historic Durban Light Infantry (DLI).
Earlier in his career with the DLI, he spoke proudly of having carried the South African flag as a captain to the ship docked in Durban, on which Queen Elizabeth II was aboard during her visit to the country in 1999. In between, he pursued his sporting career, with Hendrik recalling Woesie as a versatile rugby player who was able to play hooker, eighth man and even centre.
His cricket exploits were well known in KZN, where he played for Country Districts and even had an opportunity to play in Ireland. Woesie was a social person and enjoyed a game of snooker at the Dundee & District Club, where he also served as a competent chairperson. He was also a diligent member of Round Table and actively recruited new members to ensure that the organisation would thrive.
When the family moved to Pretoria, he worked for a company selling medicinal products for cattle, and travelled extensively. But he still managed to find time for his beloved game of cricket.
Those who packed into the NG Moedergemeente on Friday to pay their respects to Woesie (included in the congregation were colleagues from the military and many from the farming community) was a testament to a man who was respected for his integrity, his humour, his leadership and his kindness
