{"id":49727,"date":"2020-09-04T21:37:13","date_gmt":"2020-09-04T21:37:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=49727"},"modified":"2020-09-05T14:44:13","modified_gmt":"2020-09-05T14:44:13","slug":"eulogy-mary-irene-lucia-herft-van-rooyen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/eulogy-mary-irene-lucia-herft-van-rooyen\/","title":{"rendered":"Eulogy \u2013 Mary Irene Lucia Herft (van Rooyen)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eulogy \u2013 Mary Irene Lucia Herft (van Rooyen)<\/span>
\n14.12.1933 \u2013 22.08.2020<\/span><\/h1>\n

\"Mary<\/h1>\n

Mary Irene Lucia van Rooyen was born in Sri Lanka on 14 December 1933. She was the <\/span>eldest of seven children born to Eric and Hazel van Rooyen, her other siblings being Godwin, <\/span>Clement, Ursula, Noeline, Glenville and Faye.
\n<\/span>
\nGrowing up as the eldest of a family during the war years, when the money was scarce, <\/span>would have been difficult. Yet, mum grew up strong, educated herself, married and had <\/span>seven children of her own. She was capable and strong willed. Mum was also a private <\/span>person, so much so that she would have been happy to leave this earth during Covid19 to <\/span>avoid any fanfare at her funeral. I\u2019m sure if I told her just before she passed that only 10 people will be allowed <\/span>to attend her funeral, her response would have been, \u201cSon, that\u2019s 10 too many\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Mary<\/h1>\n

Mum\u2019s siblings remember her taking on a motherly role to assist their own <\/span>mother who was born with a disability, as their father spent time away from<\/span>
\nhome as an army soldier. The younger sisters fondly remember mum <\/span>teaching them the alphabet, counting and reading them nursery rhymes. At <\/span>the tender age of 15, mum had to baptize her 6-day old brother Glenville who <\/span>was ill and passed away, as their father was away on work duties at the time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Mary<\/h1>\n

Mum was incredibly talented at sewing and made clothes for her siblings, her <\/span>children, her grandchildren and had plenty of private orders as well. We have so many <\/span>family photos of the boys dressed in matching outfits and girls also dressed in their <\/span>matching outfits. Mum also made her own wedding dress as well as her sisters\u2019 and<\/span>
\ndaughters\u2019 wedding dresses.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Mary<\/h1>\n

Mum was initially tutored at home by a good family friend, the Christansz family. She <\/span>formally commenced school at the late age of 8 in 1942 at Holy Family Convent, <\/span>Dehiwala, Sri Lanka. This was the start of a 30-year association with the school. <\/span>Hence, the HFC flag is draped in front of her coffin as a testament to her dedication and <\/span>love of the convent.
\n<\/span>
\nMum completed her student years in 1950, regularly winning academic awards, including her final prize of a <\/span>Christ The King statue. Mum kept this statue by her side over the past 70 years until the day she died, and we <\/span>will donate it to the chapel of the aged care facility where she passed away and where Dad currently resides.
\n<\/span>
\nThe statue is placed in front of us along with other special symbols representing her life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Mary<\/p>\n

The next 21 years mum spent as a teacher at the convent. She initially commenced her <\/span>teaching career as a relief teacher with the \u2018Nursery\u201d as it was known then and proceeded <\/span>to teach mathematics in both English and Sinhalese. Many of mum\u2019s previous students <\/span>kept in contact with her and there has been numerous comments posted by them on the <\/span>Past Pupils Convent Facebook page over the last week, expressing their gratitude to her <\/span>for making a positive contribution to their lives. I know several of her past pupils both in <\/span>Australia and in Sri Lanka have tuned into this service to pay their respects.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Mary<\/h1>\n

Mum and Dad married on 12th April 1958. The next seven years they raised six children, <\/span>namely Gerry in April 1959, Suzette in November 1960, Damian in January 1962, Patrick <\/span>Steve in January 1963, Angelo in January 1964 and Patricia Laurene in March 1965.
\n<\/span>
\nMost of their early years of marriage was difficult as money was scarce. Dad was ill and <\/span>lost his job and in the main Mum, was the main bread winner. As her teacher salary was <\/span>insufficient on its own, mum undertook private tuition for students and sewing jobs until <\/span>late in the night to make ends meet.<\/span>Most of their early years of marriage was difficult as money was scarce. Dad was ill and lost his job and in the <\/span>main Mum, was the main bread winner. As her teacher salary was insufficient on its own, mum undertook <\/span>private tuition for students and sewing jobs until late in the night to make ends meet.<\/span>
\n
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Mary<\/h1>\n


\nShe was fortunate that Dad managed to take on the motherly role of raising six <\/span>children under the age of seven. I have vivid memories of us six children sitting on <\/span>the steps of our kitchen in our house in Sri Lanka in order of our age sharing the one <\/span>plate of food for dinner with our mum feeding us with her hands. I don\u2019t know how <\/span>many times we bit into her fingers thinking it was a piece of beef.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Mary<\/p>\n

Our parents\u2019 prayers were answered when we managed to migrate to Australia on 13 <\/span>May 1972 through the generosity of family and friends. They arrived with one <\/span>suitcase, little cash and have now built a legacy of a large loving and caring family. <\/span>Money was still scarce and while we missed out on many things, we always had food <\/span>on the table, a roof over our head, clothes on ourselves and we were all educated. We <\/span>could not ask for anything more.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n