Tribune mourns former news editor

Caxton Newspapers’ former and current staff members are mourning the loss of a great journalist who graced their offices, Sandy Sher.

Sher worked for Caxton Newspapers from 1999 as a sales executive and then as a journalist and a news editor for North Eastern Tribune in 2005. She retired in 2006 and worked as a freelancer in 2007; she then worked at Auto Dealer in 2008.

According to a close former colleague, Sue Belling, who is also a former North Eastern Tribune news editor, Sher was very popular among her workmates.

“She would always go the extra mile, she had a very good sense of news. She worked very hard, she also wrote a popular column for Tribune. She never complained about having too much on her plate, she gave it her all.” Belling added that Sher was a very helpful person. “She will be missed by all her friends; our hearts are broken.”

Caxton Johannesburg North branch manager Norman Dawe said he was introduced to Sher 19 years ago when he started as a sales consultant at Caxton. Dawe said, “Having worked closely with Sandy over many years, I knew her as the ‘old’ Tribune expert […]. She, like a true journalist, and Jewish at that, knew everyone.” He added that although Sher moved on from Caxton a few years ago, she was never far and would on a regular basis phone to tell the office of something happening in ‘Tribland’.

“Sandy will be sorely missed by the staff at North East Tribune and readers alike,” Dawe concluded.

Dawe’s secretary, Esther Kekana said she was shocked when she heard about the passing of Sher. Kekana said, “I knew Sandy from September 2001 while I was working on the switchboard. It took me almost two months to know everyone but for Sandy it was different – she introduced herself to me on the first day. She made me feel welcome as she would greet me every morning.”

Another staff member, Barry Bothma said, “I knew Sandy when I still used to work at Savoy Estates. She was a very kind lady and allowed us to go swimming at her place in the summer.”

Sher is survived by her husband Mickey, three sons, Jonty, David and Lawrence, and grandchildren. She will be buried at West Park Jewish Cemetery at 3pm today.