It is with great sadness that we mourn the death of Pearl van Zyl, a Friends of Tygerberg Hills committee member, who passed away on 28 August 2013.

Pearl was not only a current member of the committee, but a founding member. Pearl gave many years of personal time and service to the Friends of Tygerberg Hills.

Pearl was instrumental in getting the original cannon back to its place on the Tygerberg Hill, and was always on hand to assist with functions and events. Pearl was particularly involved in arranging the Ulwazi visits to the nature reserve, and showed limitless kindness and compassion for these severely handicapped adults and children. Pearl personally drove to companies in the area to ask for sponsorship and assistance with the Ulwazi visits, and then ensured that thank you messages were sent to each of them.

Pearl was also one of the founding members of the Tygerberg Hills Residents Forum. In a touching tribute, Loevenstein Crime Watch member Ruby Wiehman wrote of Pearl:

‘I received the news of her passing at the farewell of Insp. Waldo Prinsloo at Bellville SAPS yesterday and all present there gave a fitting tribute to her.  Insp. Prinsloo told how she always would phone him to politely thank him personally when he attended to something people approached her to see to. This is how she was – she would lay a complaint, but always say thank you once it has been done. At the police station a huge pine tree was uprooted during the storm of the night of her passing away.  Everyone knew this tree which also had its own resident owl.  When I looked at this fallen down tree, I thought of Pearl. One huge tree has fallen. We salute her.’

We too, salute Pearl. She will be missed.