In remembrance
In remembrance: Heidi Volkwijn
26 June 2020Dear colleagues and students
We are saddened to inform you of the passing of Heidi Volkwijn, (43), who was registered for a Postgraduate Diploma in Disability Studies. Ms Volkwijn died on Saturday, 20 June 2020. Tragically, her passing followed that of her husband, Barry, a few hours earlier on the same day, after both had tested positive for COVID-19 and had been hospitalised a week earlier.
As a visually impaired person, Ms Volkwijn was instrumental in instilling confidence and passion in students on how to facilitate the participation and inclusion of persons with vision impairment in their families and communities. She has been described as a dedicated student and a person who taught others about being resilient and brave. She embraced life and was solution-driven, in a firm but gentle manner.
She was a manager at the League of the Friends of the Blind and had a long history of collaboration with UCT since the late 1990s, when Occupational Therapy undergraduate students did service-learning placements at the organisation.
Ms Volkwijn is survived by her 19-year-old daughter, Amy.
Details of the funeral and memorial services have not yet been finalised.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and all who knew Ms Volkwijin.
Sincerely
The UCT Executive
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