Yvonne Siew Allen Overy

[Leontina Heidgerken]

From 1957 to 1961, Randall worked for the Natal Education Department. He and Isobel then moved to the UK, where they worked for Essex County Council for two years before returning to South Africa in 1964. Randall became involved in anti-apartheid politics, and from 1965 to 1969 he was the assistant director at the South African Institute of Race Relations in Johannesburg. From 1969 to 1972 he was the director of the Study Project on Christianity in Apartheid Society (Spro-Cas), and in 1972 he co-founded Ravan Press with Beyers Naud and Danie van Zyl. Ravan punched above its weight, publishing dissident voices and often attracting state censorship.

In October 1977, Randall and Naude, among others, were served with banning orders. Randall had been employed part-time by Wits as a teacher organiser, but his banning order prevented him from continuing in either the Wits or Ravan roles. Wits applied to the Minister of Justice for permission to employ him full-time and continued to pay his salary. Permission was granted six months later, and in 1978 Randall took up a full-time post at the university, with both administrative and academic responsibilities. He completed an MEd (1981) on the private school system in South Africa and a PhD (1989) on the history of education and teacher training. He continued working at Wits until his retirement in 1995, eventually becoming professor assignatus and director of teacher training.

In 2006, the South African History Archives (SAHA) obtained from the State Archives copies of all documentation on Randall that had been kept by the Bureau of State Security (BOSS) during his years of activism. A set of the files was given to Randall, and another was archived at Wits.

Randall celebrated his 66th wedding anniversary in Johannesburg in January 2024. He had become increasingly frail, and on 29 February he was hospitalised after a fall. Underlying issues were diagnosed, and his health gradually deteriorated despite interventions. Isobel seldom left his bedside during his last lengthy inpatient admission.

She lectured at Reading University and then Middlesex Polytechnic in the 1980s and was appointed professor of drawing at the Royal College of Art in 1995. She launched the Centre for Drawing Research, the first doctoral programme of its kind in the UK. She was an honorary fellow of the Warburg Institute, and research fellow at both Yale University in 2007 and the Getty Center in Los Angeles between 2001 and 2002. In 1996, she was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Eddie went on to complete his undergraduate studies at Rhodes University, where he played rugby and was a member of the National Union of South African Students. After a stint at Unilever and teaching history at a high school in Johannesburg, Eddie completed an MA in politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford and a Bachelor of Philosophy from York University soon after.

She reapplied to Wits in 1953 and completed her degree in 1959, specialising in radiation therapy and eventually taking up the role of professor and head of the Department of Radiation Therapy and Oncology from 1983 until 1986. Her third son Paul (MBBCh 1984) was born in 1961.

In addition to her administrative and teaching duties, she maintained a research programme and became deeply involved in organisations that would influence the profession. She was a committee member of the National Cancer Association, a member of the advisory board of the Family Life and Marriage Society of South Africa, chair of the executive committee of Hospice Witwatersrand and a member of the Hospice board.

Her commitment to disadvantaged communities is reflected in the many organisations on whose boards she sat, offering guidance, raising funds and giving of her time. In 1972 she embarked on a political career when she was elected to the Johannesburg City Council, where she served until 1979. In that year, along with Dr Nthato Motlana (MBBCh 1954, LLD honoris causa 1999), she founded the Hunger Concern Programme which evolved into Operation Hunger.

After her retirement from Wits and from party politics, her career took a new direction when she became involved in pain relief, pain management and palliative medicine. She established the first pain clinic in Hillbrow Hospital.

Prof Seftel was a teacher, clinician, researcher and broadcaster who taught generations of doctors, nurses and other health practitioners at Wits as well as hosting popular health education shows on Radio 702 and the SABC.

Born in Johannesburg on 28 December in 1928, he matriculated from Jeppe High School with distinctions in Latin and Greek in 1945. Prof Seftel became an intern at Baragwanath Hospital in 1953. Thereafter he was appointed as registrar and medical officer and was awarded the specialist qualification of diploma in medicine. In 1964, he was appointed as physician in charge of the department of medicine at what was called the Johannesburg non-European Hospital and was elevated to a chair as ad hominem professor of African Diseases in 1971. Finally in 1982 he was appointed as Professor of Medicine and Chief Physician at the Hillbrow Hospital.

He was an outstanding clinician who made major contributions to the categorisation of infectious and other diseases. He was one of the best undergraduate teachers in the Faculty and was awarded the prestigious Tobias and Convocation Medal for undergraduate teaching in 1991. He was also a distinguished researcher. In addition to his mainstream interests, he established the Renal Unit at Baragwanath Hospital in 1960, was a co-founder of the Liver Unit at the Johannesburg Hospital and founder and president of the Infectious Diseases Society of South Africa, founder president of the Aspirin Foundation of Southern Africa and chairman and past president of the Society for Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa, the Lipid and Atherosclerosis Society of Southern Africa, the Southern African Hypertension Society and the Southern African Council Against Smoking.

He remained in the Department of Medicine as Emeritus Professor and honorary professorial research fellow with a part-time appointment at Hillbrow Hospital. He still taught, continued his research, seeing patients and educating the general public.

Dr Holly worked in Sydney for a while, but settled in Cessnock, in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales and served the community for 46 years. In 2015 he was awarded the Citizen of the Year Award during the annual Australia Day celebrations. The same year he also received the NSW Rural Doctors Network Honours in recognition of more than 30 years of medical service to rural communities.

He never seemed to slow down and engaged fully in new experiences well into his seventies. His hobbies included Tai chi, perfecting elaborate recipes, hiking, sky diving as well as renovating cottages and cultivating a grape and olive plantation in Hunter.

He responded to the suffering of others with compassion despite his own experiences of hardship. As a loyal Wits supporter, he enabled a bequest to Wits in his will as well as a donation to student financial aid.

Prof Staskun met Mina Friedman (MEd 1980) during her final year at university and they married in 1959 and were blessed with one child, Jonathan, and three grandchildren. He was granted sabbatical leave during his tenure at Wits: as post-doctoral associate at Standford in 1968, visiting professor at the University of Delaware in 1975, the University of California in 1981, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1989, and Rutgers University in 1994 and 1998. Prof Staskun made a significant contribution in the field of chemistry, publishing over 70 research papers in international journals.

He continued doing research in the Chemistry Department post-retirement and after his wife Mina retired from her senior tutorship, and in 2003 the couple moved to Australia to be closer to family. He remained an active researcher and held an honorary position at Macquarie University in Sydney from 2003 to 2016.

His father Nathan was clinical assistant professor of general restorative dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania. He received the Robert E DeRevere Award for excellence in preclinical teaching for several years in a row.

At the time of his death, he was chair of the board of Artist Proof Studio, a position he held for 15 years. He provided the vision to transition the studio from an NGO to a successful Public Benefit Organisation, which employs over 25 staff members and supports up to 15 part-time interns and assistants who are training to enter the professional art industry and a growing student body. The gallery holds the work of over 150 artists, many of whom receive an income from sales.

In recognition of his talent for leadership, Alf was also appointed caretaker head of the Department of Music; he proudly showed off his new office that was outfitted with a baby grand piano and a music system.

Mark Finkelstein (BCom 1987, LLB 1989) a lawyer, admired for his teaching of martial arts and voluntary efforts, died of cancer on 27 December 2023 in Johannesburg. His death came a few weeks before what would have been his 58th birthday. He was first diagnosed with cancer four years ago, and despite pain, continued to work and maintained his good humour.

Finkelstein was born and grew up in Johannesburg. He matriculated at Highlands North Boys High School, and then went on to study at Wits. As estate agents, his parents often found new homes and moved with Finkelstein, his older brother Oscar and sisters, Lani and Aviva.

Finkelstein said he was a lawyer by profession, but his passion was teaching Krav Maga, Hebrew for close combat, an Israeli developed self-defence system. For more than 20 years he volunteered for the Community Security Organisation, which protects Jewish institutions and events.

Finkelstein had a hectic schedule, but found time to give of himself. He regularly visited the elderly parents of friends who had emigrated. He paid attention to his children in teaching them, exercising with them, and taking up their interests. He frequently took the family for hikes in nature reserves, and on holiday at his favourite places in Mozambique.

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