Medelye van oor Suid-Afrika heen, asook uit die buiteland, het ingestroom toe die nuus van \u2019n bekende Matjiesfontein-inwoner se sterfte bekend word.<\/p>\n
John Theunissen (56) het vir langer as 35 jaar by die Lord Milner-hotel in di\u00e9 dorp gewerk. Vir baie was hy net bekend as Johnny en vir baie was hy ook die gesig van Matjiesfontein en die Lord Milner.<\/p>\n
\u201cHy het in 1985 hier as \u2019n portier begin werk. Hy het eers heelwat later die gaste begin vermaak,\u201d s\u00ea Werner Smit, die hotel se bestuurder.<\/p>\n
Hy het ook die daaglikse toere van Matjiesfontein op die bekende rooi bus gelei. Die meeste mense op sosiale media beskryf Theunissen as \u2019n ikoon en legende. Dit is sekerlik weens sy persoonlikheid.<\/p>\n
\u201cHy was \u2019n joviale entertainer<\/em>. Hy was altyd gereed om saam met die gaste te sing en lekker sing-alongs<\/em> te hou. Hy was altyd in \u2019n goeie bui en het \u2019n groot liefde vir mense en sy gemeenskap gehad. Hy het altyd gepraat van die passie wat hy gehad het om werk toe te kom. Hy was ook \u2019n baie gelowige mens. Dit was \u2019n groot plesier om saam met hom te kon werk. Ons gaan hom almal baie mis,\u201d het Smit, wat vir die laaste agt jaar saam met Theunissen gewerk het, aan Standard & Gazette<\/em> ges\u00ea. <\/p>\n Volgens Smit het Theunissen longkanker gehad. Dit is onduidelik wanneer dit by hom gediagnoseer is.<\/p>\n \u201cHy het nog die hele tyd gewerk. Hy was maar baie privaat wanneer dit by sy gesondheidsake gekom het. Maar ons kon sien hy raak al hoe meer siek. Hy is twee Saterdae gelede in die hospitaal opgeneem. Ek en my vrou het nog Vrydag by hom gaan inloer en toe s\u00ea hy vir my hy het \u2019n vol lewe gehad. Sondag het sy familie hom gaan groet.\u201d<\/p>\n Ivan Meyer, die provinsiale minister van landbou, het die volgende Facebook-inskrywing oor Theunissen se sterfte gemaak: \u201cBaie hartseer dag: Matjiesfontein is armer as gevolg van hierdie legende se sterfte. \u2019n Groot boom en \u2019n kulturele toerisme-ambassadeur vir die Karoo het geval. Sy rol, musiek, stories, humor, taal en liefde vir alle mense is onge\u00ebwenaard. \u2019n Legende by die Lord Milner-motel in Matjiesfontein.\u201d <\/p>\n Die Wes-Kaapse minister van kultuursake en sport, Anroux Marais, het ook haar medelye in \u2019n verklaring gedeel.<\/p>\n \u201cDie Wes-Kaap, en veral die Karoo, het \u2019n wonderlike mens verloor, wat vir ons almal gewys het watter skouspelagtige verskil jy kan maak in die gemeenskap waarin jy woon. Niemand wat oor die jare deur Matjiesfontein gereis het, sal ooit hierdie legendariese storieverteller en klavierspeler vergeet nie. Sy vlam is op die ouderdom van 56 heeltemal te vroeg geblus. Hy het voluit gelewe, hy het \u2019n verskil aan ons almal se lewens gemaak, en hy sal nooit, ooit vergeet word nie,\u201d lui die verklaring.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Medelye van oor Suid-Afrika heen, asook uit die buiteland, het ingestroom toe die nuus van \u2019n bekende Matjiesfontein-inwoner se sterfte bekend 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