Abdoll is perhaps best known in Kimberley as the first area director of Meals on Wheels Community Services in their Northern Cape office.
HENRY Peter Abdoll, 78 years, a resident of Acacia Park in Kimberley, passed away recently after a short illness.
Abdoll is perhaps best known in Kimberley as the first area director of Meals on Wheels Community Services (Mowcs) in their Northern Cape office, serving in this capacity from 2006 to 2011.
As area director he was responsible for overseeing the organisation’s operations and developing strategy and performance objectives of the fledgeling operation.
Mowcs is a non-profit organisation providing cooked meals to those in need – the vulnerable, the disabled and the elderly and children in society.
It is the mission of the organisation to transform lives through charity in motion. And this is a mantle that Abdoll wore with distinction. Meals On Wheels Community Services is a crucial part of the well-being of the needy, and their very survival in a very difficult environment.
In addition, Abdoll was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day running of the organisation, while simultaneously monitoring the staff’s performance and implementing strategies to ensure that the necessary resources were available to make a difference in the lives of the disadvantaged.
Abdoll was born on August 5, 1942 to Abraham Adolf and Clara Serina in Carnarvon in the Northern Cape. He was the youngest child with nine older siblings and was only 14 years old when his mother passed away.
After finishing his schooling at Skoonspruit High School in Malmesbury, he went on to study Business Economics at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in Bellville. After graduating from UWC, he landed his first job as a teacher at Saltriver High School. However, after just nine months he took up a position at Spesbona Bank, which kicked off his career in business.
At the age of 22, Henry met Cathy Immelman, and in 1968, a year after his father had passed away, the couple got married. They went on to have two children, Riaan and Heidi, and the family lived in Bellville where Henry, Cathy and the children built a strong network of close friends and family.
For many years, Abdoll worked at UWC as a public relations officer until he left that job in 1992 to work in Pretoria for Armscore.
When he retired, Abdoll moved with his beloved Cathy back to the Northern Cape and settled in Sutherland, where they became part of the community and where Abdoll went on to became mayor of the town.
It was during his retirement that Henry was headhunted by ADRA International (Adventist Development and Relief Agency International – which has since been renamed Meals on Wheels Community Services).
Even though they had built strong relationships in Sutherland, Henry and Cathy decided to start a new adventure by moving to Kimberley, where again the couple built up a close network of dear friends.
He was appointed Adra/Mowcs area director for the Northern Cape where he served for six years. The couple lived in Kimberley until his death on Friday, April 9, 2021.
Abdoll was predeceased by five brothers and two sisters and is survived by his sisters, Adonia (“Donie”), and Clarissa (“Nini”), who both reside in the Western Cape. Henry remained very close to them, even when there was a geographical distance in the final years.
He also leaves his wife, Cathy, his son and wife, Riaan and Emma, his daughter and husband, Heidi and Ramon, as well as his grandchildren Noah, Lailah, Max and Rafe.
