Umkomaas stalwart and Khanya Hospice co-founder, Natalie Sinclair (nee Mentz) died on Friday, 25 December, with the love of her family and friends surrounding her. Natalie was born in Vryheid in 1928 to Abel and Caroline Mentz. She was educated at Pretoria Girls High, where she was head girl, and continued her education at Rhodes University, graduating with a degree in social sciences.
She married Colin Sinclair in 1951 and they lived in London, where Natalie developed her passion for flower arranging and cooking. They settled in Umkomaas in 1951 and many people will remember her as the practice manager at Colin’s dental surgery.
Natalie soon became involved in the local community. She joined the Umkomaas WI and remained an active member for almost 70 years. She used her talent as a floral artist to demonstrate as well as judge flower arrangements. For many years she was a member of the Natal Floral Art Society and Natal panel of floral art judges.
Natalie was always dedicated to the well-being of others, and as a result, served on the founding committee of Lighthouse Hospice, first raising funds to purchase Madeleine Herbert House and later to set up and run the hospice. She was a parishioner of long standing at Christ Church in Umkomaas, where she regularly attended services, enjoyed fellowship and arranged the church flowers.
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She will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by her daughters Carolyn and Jacquie, son-in-law David, grandchildren Andrew, Sally, Matthew, Robert, Lindsay and David, and her seven great-grandchildren.
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