Legend Charles Maasdorp laid to rest

GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - Charles Lionel Maasdorp, a respected pilot, sportsman, and farmer from Graaff-Reinet, was laid to rest on Monday afternoon, 10 June, at the St James Anglican Church on Somerset Street. The service was conducted by Archdeacon Dr Mark Marais OSPB. The community gathered to pay their respects to a man known for his unwavering positivity and ever-present smile.

He passed away on 29 May in Graaff-Reinet, just two days shy of his 91st birthday.

Maasdorp was born in 1933 in Lonely Mine, north of Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia, where his father worked as a mine manager. Growing up with two siblings, Maasdorp moved with his family in 1941 to the Karoo, to a farm called Hopewell in Aberdeen. He married Eira May Hartzenburg in 1956 at the same church where his funeral was held. The couple celebrated 68 years of marriage and raised four children.

The Advertiser featured an article about Maasdorp on 3 June last year, commemorating his 90th birthday.

His entire life was spent in the Karoo, where he became an accomplished farmer. Despite moving among various farms, Graaff-Reinet always remained his home. Maasdorp's first grandson, also named Charles, paid a heartfelt tribute to his 'Oupa', remembering him as a person who made everyone feel special and brought immense joy to those around him. "Oupie had the ability to make you feel like the only person in the world when he spoke to you," he remarked. Maasdorp was well-known for his humor, his talent for blowing the bugle, and his simple, joyful lifestyle. He will be dearly missed by his family and friends in Graaff-Reinet. His grandchildren expressed gratitude for the values he instilled and the incredible parents he gave them.

He will be remembered as a man of integrity and principle, unwavering support and devotion, a gentle and kind soul who always made time for others.