Ismael Herman, 67,
A Lentegeur community worker who washed bodies according to Islamic burial rites has died after decades of service.
Ismael Herman, who died on Sunday May 12, had many nicknames including Skwassie when he played dominoes, Pikkie when worked in the printing rooms of the Cape Argus and Toekamanie when he took up this last service for the dead.
He is survived by his wife, Taugheedah, their three children and four grandchildren.
Ms Herman said her husband’s death had left a void in the community. “He lived in every sense of the word for his community," she said, describing him as a "straightforward no-nonsense guy” and the backbone of the family.
Mr Herman was still a teenager when he started working at the Cape Argus with his father, Abubaker.
“He worked for the Argus for 38 years until he was retrenched in 2010,” said Ms Herman.
He learned to wash and shroud bodies under the tutelage of Boeta Achmad Jappie.
In his earlier years as a toekamanie, most of the deaths he had encountered had been from natural causes or, at worst, a stabbing, but in recent years, he had seen his "fair share" of gunshot wounds and suicides, said Ms Herman.
“For each, when he got called, he would mentally prepare himself as to how he would wash and prepare the body for burial,” she said, adding that he had always been ready to help no matter the time, and he had even helped to prepare his family for his own death.
“He mentally prepared us for his death. While he was in and out of hospital in recent months, he would talk to us, make jokes and do household chores,” she said.
Ms Herman said he would be remembered for his kindness and willingness to help others, and she thanked all those who had supported the family through their bereavement.
"Our hope is that his children would continue his legacy”.
His neighbour, Latiefa Brown, described him as a people’s person, saying, "Every child in the road was his child and he cared for each one of them.“
Mr Herman was buried according to Islamic burial rites on Monday May 13. This includes bathing the body, enshrouding it in a white cotton or linen cloth and burying it with the head facing Mecca.