We were very saddened over the weekend to learn that our good friend Raymond Van Staden passed away. Raymond is from South Africa, and he was a work associate of Mark's. We knew him for several years; he even spent the night at our house in Austin on a visit here. When we were deciding where to live in S. Africa, Raymond and his family were a major factor in our decision to live near Durban. He was an invaluable friend to us when we lived there. He met us at the airport when we arrived and took us to auctions to help us find furniture. We got together with his family on several occasions for braiis (S. African term for barbeque) by the dam (aka lake). And Mark enjoyed many work related meetings with him. He was the last person at the airport to say goodbye to us when we moved back to the States.
It appears that Raymond drowned in the ocean near his home while trying to rescue a teenager who was struggling in the water. We are not the least bit surprised by this as that's exactly the type of guy Raymond was ... the type who would bend over backwards to help no matter the cost. Raymond is survived by his wife Carol and his precious son, Casey now 4 yrs. old I believe. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them and all of the countless others like us who were touched by Raymond's life and are devastated by his loss. May you rest in peace Raymond. We will miss you dearly.
Thank you for this wonderful tribute, ray highly respected and loved you both. the service is tomorrow and I will be remembering the good times we had. tons luv Carol
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