On Saturday, 6 August 2016 it was with the deepest sadness, pain and sense of loss that we at Parsec heard about the passing of Andries, our dear colleague and friend.
Since his last day at work four months ago Andries fought a vicious battle that to the end he was convinced he would overcome. He was determined and we kept praying for a miracle, but it was not to be.
His elderly parents, wife Sunette, daughter Su-Andri and four year old son Christo have lost a beloved son, husband and father. We at Parsec have lost a committed, devoted, dedicated, loyal and ever positive friend and colleague.
Andries Christoffel van Schalkwyk was born on 6 December 1967. He matriculated in 1985 and went on to complete a National Diploma in Electronics Engineering in 1990 at the then Pretoria Technikon. Andries has known Rynier van der Watt and Petrus Pelser, Parsec’s MD, since their student days over 30 years ago.
Andries joined Parsec in July 2000 as chief operating officer of the newly formed Parsec Manufacturing. He played various significant roles in the development and growth of Parsec. He started our procurement division. In 2004 he took on the role of our first production manager and in 2006 became a production project manager. Over the years the role evolved into business development manager, a position he held for 10 years.
Andries has always been interested in how things work; this was evident in his passion for cars and their respective specifications. He was usually consulted when one of his colleagues was buying a new car. The next day a pile of relevant motor magazines appeared on the colleague’s desk. In the same way, he built up a vast knowledge at work and for many colleagues he was the ‘go-to-man’ when they needed to know something.
Andries had many qualities. He was devoted, passionate about most things and, through thick and thin, ever loyal to Parsec. He was respected and held in high esteem by all his colleagues. It is not an exaggeration to say that he was always smiling, positive and committed to delivering. These traits were still evident in his weakest moments.
Naturally, Andries’s life did not revolve only around work. The same devotion and passion were evident in his family life. He often proudly went from office to office informing his colleagues of his daughter Su-Andri’s achievements at horse riding, karate and archery. He invested many hours into towing a horse box, himself participating in karate (he earned his black belt) and he ensured that Su-Andri was able to compete in international archery events. The glee in his eyes when he showed us pictures of his little Christo will never be forgotten. He was the epitome of a hands-on dad, participating in diving, karate, archery and whatever other interest his family had.
Andries will always be associated with his extraordinarily positive nature. No challenge would defeat him. He would work long into the night to complete quotes and be up and about the next day encouraging on-time delivery. This same positive trait contributed greatly to the way Andries handled his illness. He remained positive to the end and his relationship with his Maker was deepened in the process. Andries was unique and his optimism will remain a legacy and an inspiration to us all.
Andries has left an indelible mark. We are ever grateful to him for the huge contribution he made to Parsec and the impact that he had on our culture and growth. Our hearts go out to his parents, Sunette, Su-Andri and Christo, his two sisters and his extended family.
We salute you Andries. Rest in peace.
For more information contact Elena Bielich, Parsec, +27 (0)12 678 9740, elena@parsec.co.za, www.parsec.co.za
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