Special Aircraft Service
the SAS Hangar => Announcements => Topic started by: SAS~Storebror on May 11, 2023, 01:15:31 PM
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It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Piet van Wyk de Vries, who passed away at the age of 51 today, May 11, 2023.
Born on May 7, 1972, Piet celebrated his 51st birthday and with it his final concert "The Laaste Show" at the Atterbury Theatre in Pretoria, South Africa in front of several hundred guests just four days before his death.
Piet was the founder of the Special Aircraft Service "SAS 1946" back in 2009 - in no time he turned this forum into the most active and largest gathering place of modders for the game we all love, "IL-2 Sturmovik 1946".
In real life, Piet was ultimately the most famous and top gunsmith in South Africa, and since 2016 he established Cerakote South Africa as the most successful firearms refining company in Southern Africa in the shortest possible time.
Piet will be greatly missed by his beloved wife Wilmarli, his family, friends, colleagues, and all who knew him. He was a kind and endlessly generous soul with a passion for people, aviation, firearms, and music that inspired all who worked with him. His legacy will live on through the Special Aircraft Service and the countless people he touched throughout his career.
Rest in peace, Piet. You will never be forgotten.
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It is truly a shame to finally see him go. He will live on in our hearts and memories. My condolences to everyone who was close to him.
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My condolonce to the family.
He has been a great person .
Dandolo513
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It is with great respect that I farewell him. Since the opening of this site I have been enjoying what its founder did for us all. I'm really, really saddened by this sad news. Good Bye Piet.
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Sad news. All my condolences and sympathy to his famly and friends.
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A great loss. Rest in peace.
Erafitti.
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Goodbye, Piet. Thank you for bringing us together from all over the world, and sharing with us your courage when facing mortality.
My condolences to the family.
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RIP, Piet.
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R.I.P.
You have created this milestone for each of us....now you have became a milestone in each of us!
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I never knew him but I was impressed by his last message. He has set a standard. I wish to have as much strength and sanity at the end of my days. R.I.P.
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R.I.P. :(
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(v_v)7 Salute
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RIP Sir,
Salute!
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My condolences to his family and friends and many thanks for his years of allowing the global community to enjoy this great sim. 51 is no age to go these days. RIP Piet.
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Rest in peace Piet. So many nice hours I spent with friends in this sim using great mods from SAS. Thank you!
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I never met Piet personally, but I am very sorry for his death. With the death of every human being, in a sense, the end of the world, because you can't call someone, meet, talk.
My deepest sympathies to all of Piet's family, and to you Mike for being his friend.
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A very sad news indeed, RIP Piet and my condolences to his wife, family and friends ... ::(
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Ach nöö, oh noo, Piet?!
Rest in piece.
That's very sad, my condolences to his Familly and Friends.
Boss, salute to you, Thanks for creating this safe heaven for us.
Tobias
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Sad to hear this. He will be missed. Condolances to his close friends and family.
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Sad, sad news. My condolences to his family and friends
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I'm terribly sorry to hear this..
My deepest condolences to his friends and family.
A hearty salute to him. May he grace the skies.
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I wish to add my condolences to as well
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R.I.P.
Condolences
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That's very sad to know what happened...
Apart of Il-2 discussions when he used to be more active in the forum I remember some more personal conversations we had here. Our ages were very similar and some feelings and perspectives about life lead us to talk incidentally of subjects other than MODding and flight simulators.
It shocked me to get this notice and my first regret is thinking how nice would have been meeting him in person.
Good bye Piet, our beloved SAS~CirX!
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We have lost a pioneer.
I remember way back when I first found SAS , not long after CirX
started it.
I think his personality was one of the main reasons why SAS thrived ,
and his vision and forebearance why it has had such longevity.
I did not know CirX well enough to refer to him as a friend , and yet
I felt that had we met in person we may well have been.
Keep on flying , keep on modding , and most of all appreciate those who
we have been lucky enough to have cross our paths.
Kopfdorfer
Albert Hennen
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RIP Piet 😢
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RIP old pilot. You are never forgotten.
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RIP Piet :(
This was a real sweet human being.
My condolences, not only to his family, but also to you Mike.
The lines between family and friends disappear over the years, and I know he was a brother to you.
He said so, in exactly those words.
Bird
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RIP Piet.
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Blue skies, Piet.
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Very sad news. RIP Piet. Condolences to the family.
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My condolences to the families..
RIP Piet. It is a Sad Day for all of us. I never met Piet for long time ago.. and He always Watching us from Heavens. He always be with us... Rest in Peace my Old Friend...
Best Regards KT503
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RIP :(
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(https://coub-attachments.akamaized.net/coub_storage/coub/simple/cw_image/ff7c596f77a/d985e642becf3dd03e4b8/1558266527_00029.jpg)
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Rest in Peace Piet. Though I've been mostly a lurker during my time here, ever since I was real young I've enjoyed browsing the site and seeing the amazing things this community has done. Fly high sir, thanks for everything.
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RIP :(
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My condolences to family and friends...
Condolences to all of us... :(
"Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments of lifetime, is certain for those who are friends." (c)
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My sincere condolences to family and friends.
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Really sad news. Not unexpected unfortunately, but really really sad.
My Condolences to all His family.
Fly high in the sky SAS~CirX....R.I.P. Piet van Wyk de Vries.
HGuderian/Max
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I dont knew what to say.RIP boss.
Condolences to the family.
"Carpe diem" guys, we dont knew when it is the last one.
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RIP Piet. Condolences to the family.
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Piet showed up in my expenses when doing my tax a day ago. I had to research who this expense was lol. I didnt recognise straight away. I cant believe the coincidence of my now knowing and his untimely passing. Could I claim the joy of life this gives me I wonder ?
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I express my deepest condolences to Piet's friends and family, so sad, so young.
Wishing you all the very best, Pete.
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Sad news, my condolences to his family. This site is a great legacy for Piet. RIP.
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:( :(
Repose en paix !
Et que la douleur de ta famille et de tes amis s’apaise... :( :-X
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I never met Piet personally, but I am very sorry for his death. With the death of every human being, in a sense, the end of the world, because you can't call someone, meet, talk.
My deepest sympathies to all of Piet's family, and to you Mike for being his friend.
No man is an Iland, intire of itselfe;
every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine;
if a Clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesser,
as well as if a Promontorie were,
as well as if a Manor of thy friends or of thine owne were;
any mans death diminishes me,
because I am involved in Mankinde;
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
(John Donne)
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So young to die :( :(
Sincere condoleances to his family
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I have just talked to Wilmarli, Piet's wife.
It's way too early to fully realize what happened and what impact it will have on her life (and our community), but the good news that I can tell is that Piet died peacefully and painlessly.
Wilmarli was by his side when he died, and she made sure that he always had sufficient morphine supply to completely eliminate all the pain, so effectively Piet fell into a kind of doze sleep and then passed away gently.
That's all I can say at the moment, anything else... time will tell.
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Fly high my great friend, we will all be your wingmen, always.
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Rest in peace... Thank you for all you have done to this community.
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So so young, Rest In Peace.
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Rest in Peace
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R.I.P. Piet The SAS~CirX,
His beautiful Smile will remain.
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Piet was an amazing person and it is one big regret I never took him up on his offer to come visit, look at planes and shoot guns. He took a very distracted uni student, gave me a hobby and reignited a childhood passion for Aviation I'd let go. And wierdly ended up in that field.
He had an amazing vision, sense of character and honour, but most of all, knew how to do it all with a smile and have fun. My condolences to all his friends and family.
But thank you Piet for giving all us misfits a place to meet, play and pretend to be fighter pilots. I hope you continue to belt out some tunes up there in the deep blue sky.
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Blue skies Piet!
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Sad sad news... Rest in Peace
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Rest in Peace. Now you are legend.
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Rest in peace.
My sincere condolences to his family and friends.
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Rest in peace.
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Sad news, my sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to SAS, where his work will surely remain. RIP
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Deeply saddened by this news. We are all here, in one way or the other, thanks to him; and many more were and will thanks to his dream and his actions.
I didn't know him personally, but i just discovered his music and i am be deeply obliged to him for this site and all the things that came afterwards from his initial idea. We all are.
I want to express my condolences and thanks to him in behalf of all my community and, i think, the whole Il-2 1946 community. Without the will of a single man, we wouldn't be here, and most of us would not have found and developed this fantastic game and its mods, plus all the friends we made along the way.
Thank you Piet.
Fair winds and blue skies.
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Deeply saddened to hear of Piet's passing. My deepest condolences to his family and friends for this terrible loss.
Wheels
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Pilots of the 69th Squadron extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and fellow hearts who will mourn him.
The best way we can honor someone like him is to keep flying and express gratitude always. A warm greeting to everyone.
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Godbless to you Piet... and thankyou for all the help you've given me since joining SAS... fly safe in the skies up there mate, you're free from pain and suffering.
We shall miss you brother,
Eric (BlackAce7727)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Qxvv6bx1/283344521-7781766068507946-7244667092802708822-n.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/1fcWXDF3)
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Deeply saddened to hear this! Thank you for posting.
Gods Speed.
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Piet was ultimately the person who brought everyone of us together to enjoy 1946.
He was a visionary in his own right and he will be missed but also remembered fondly by those of us who knew him.
Rest in peace.
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Rest in peace.
My deepest condolences to his family and friends.
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Rest in peace, Piet.
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Dankie vir alles wat jy gedoen het.
Rus in vrede, Piet.
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A great loss to us all, another wonderful person who has left us. We will remember him. Thank you for all your amazing work, rest in peace, Piet. Sincere condolences to the family.
HaFu1939
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RIP Piet. ::(
Condolences to the family.
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sad news,R.I.P.!
my condolences to his folks!
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Rest in peace.
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Message from Barnesy (FM site):
- beginning of quote -
From all the crew here at FM.
To Piet's family, friends, colleagues and to mike and the crew at SAS our sincere condolences for your loss.
May your happy memories of Piet give you some peace and comfort in these the saddest of moments.
Kindest regards.
Paul
- end of quote -
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Horrible news. My deepest condolences...
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(https://i.postimg.cc/mrJkv465/high-flight-pat-speirs.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
I shall never forget you. So many years ago when the SAS was just beginning. You invited me to join the team and I was so proud. Your sense of honor, inspired me as well as your sense of humor. The world is dimmer without you and so is this forum.
Rest well brother. We will take it from here.
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Rest in Peace.
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Sad new. Thanks you Piet for what you have done.
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A highly sad news, all my sincere condolences to his family and his friends...
Rest in peace.
Emmanuel.
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WHAT A SHOCK! :o to find this out!! I just found out today, and I'm Totally bummed! :-[ :-X
Condolences to his family! May he rest in peace with the Angels!! Rip, Piet...
Thanks for ALL the work that you did here!!! Good job!!
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Sending prayers to his family, I hope they are strong in times of grief.
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I remember Piet from the first days of SAS in 2009.
His passion for this game and our hobby started something that affected many people very deeply, including myself.
I'm grateful to him for that and for the friends I made on this site.
My condolences to his friends and family.
CY6.
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It is very sad that now in the list of mods that are included in DGenPACK you will have to add R.I.P after the author's name CirX. Very early...
We will remember what Piet did for our game and enjoy listening to his music...
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Deeply shocked by these news. I was far from my PC these last days and connected this morning to see this terrible announcement. I remember the early days of SAS were Piet opened the gates to whoever was looking for a real free community of modders ruled by enthusiasm, fair play and openness. His support and his calm interventions to solve problems and conflicts enabled this community to grow very fast, both in quantity and quality.
My deep condolences to his wife and family.
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RIP you have left us with an amazing legacy. Condolences to your family. FLY HIGH!
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Another one from the many he gathered together in this site from all over the world to pay respect and say thank you.
It has been moving reading how he have the strength and coolness to rock it till the end with such a dignity. My condolences to his family and friends.
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That is very sad news. My deepest condolences to family and friends.
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Thank you, Sir. R.I.P.
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He talked me out of having my account deleted here a while back.
I still have the PM in my inbox. It suddenly hurts to read it.
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Rest in peace.
My condolences to his family and friends.
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So sad to hear this. I wanted to thank him.
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Rest in peace Piet. Taken from us far too soon. You have left a wonderful legacy for us all to enjoy.
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Thanks for all the fun we had with these mods, blue skies and light cumulus forever, S!
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You did so much good for so many, you passed away far too soon.
Rest in peace good man.
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Just FYI, on Saturday, the funeral service for Piet took place within the closest family circle and a few close friends.
I took the liberty of addressing a few words at Piet on this occasion, briefly mentioning our forum as well:
Dearest Piet,
It almost seems like yesterday that our paths crossed.
At the same time, it feels like we've known each other for an eternity.
An eternity with an abrupt, much too early end.
I can't imagine how empty it will feel to spend time in our flight simulation forum without you by my side. Our relationship began with keyboard, mouse, and joystick in hand and developed over the years into a deep, personal friendship. With your passing, you leave behind a legacy of kindness, compassion, and generosity.
Besides your impressive professional achievements, it was your personal qualities that really set you apart. You were a friend who radiated warmth and friendliness and always had an open ear and offered words of encouragement. You possessed a unique ability to make everyone around you feel valued and appreciated, creating lasting memories and forging deep connections.
Recently you said to me, "Forget wealth, forget business. The only thing that really matters is how we treat each other."
There is infinite truth in that statement.
You held your head high until the end and showed what it looks like to finish strong.
As we bid you farewell, let us hold on to the memories we shared and the profound impact you had and will always have on our lives.
Rest in peace, dearest Piet. Your spirit will live on forever in the hearts of those who were lucky enough to call you a friend.
Now that you have departed before the rest of us: please save us some good seats!
With love
Mike
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Mike,
Thank you for sharing this.
We could not be there physically but our hearts were there. Hope you, Wilmarli, and Piet's family and friends are OK.
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CirX has created our place in the virtual world where we can pursue our passions together. For sure, in another dimension, he is already preparing something so that we (someday) can meet and talk together again. I'm sure about that...
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Lovely words Mike, I think you covered everything there, I still cannot get over it somehow how quickly we part company, oh how so suddenly we lose those closest to us.
Take care and be safe.
Wishing you all the very best, Pete.
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Ditto
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Just FYI, on Saturday, the funeral service for Piet took place within the closest family circle and a few close friends.
I took the liberty of addressing a few words at Piet on this occasion, briefly mentioning our forum as well:
Dearest Piet,
It almost seems like yesterday that our paths crossed.
At the same time, it feels like we've known each other for an eternity.
An eternity with an abrupt, much too early end.
I can't imagine how empty it will feel to spend time in our flight simulation forum without you by my side. Our relationship began with keyboard, mouse, and joystick in hand and developed over the years into a deep, personal friendship. With your passing, you leave behind a legacy of kindness, compassion, and generosity.
Besides your impressive professional achievements, it was your personal qualities that really set you apart. You were a friend who radiated warmth and friendliness and always had an open ear and offered words of encouragement. You possessed a unique ability to make everyone around you feel valued and appreciated, creating lasting memories and forging deep connections.
Recently you said to me, "Forget wealth, forget business. The only thing that really matters is how we treat each other."
There is infinite truth in that statement.
You held your head high until the end and showed what it looks like to finish strong.
As we bid you farewell, let us hold on to the memories we shared and the profound impact you had and will always have on our lives.
Rest in peace, dearest Piet. Your spirit will live on forever in the hearts of those who were lucky enough to call you a friend.
Now that you have departed before the rest of us: please save us some good seats!
With love
Mike
Wonderful words Mike, very profound and delicate, they are a perfect homage for a singular human being as Piet.
Please save us some good seats...
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although i never met the man ,i have enjoyed greatly a huge number of mods and other files from this site ,thank you SIR for the years of fun i have had.
R.I.P.
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Sleep well my old and dear friend and thanks for all the help ::( ::(
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I too join with delay and great emotion, reminding myself of the great work done for the community. His disappearance affected me considerably also for his artistic side which I greatly appreciated. I wanted to see Pete again in a video of him where he and his wife (I hope I remember correctly) filmed with glee and humor and as a couple in love. I understand what it means for a family to lose a member like this... I've been there!! I send Pete's family an affectionate hug and my sympathy for this grave loss. We remember Pete like this....
https://youtu.be/_HXuXKoJ6tI
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That video accidentally also features Wilmarli ;)
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That is my favorite video he made. to me it always showed his sense of humor.
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To quote Piet: "One cannot take people seriously who can't have a laugh at themselves."
]cheers[
Mike
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RIP and my condolences to family.
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Very bad and sad news! o_O
Rest in peace Piet.
My condolences to his wife, family and friends. ::(
Gilles
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Piet wanted to post this but he never got around to it.
This is a video of the evening when the FAK (Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurvereniginge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federasie_van_Afrikaanse_Kultuurvereniginge))put up a song board in the Voortrekker monument's song garden in recognition of the deep tracks he left in the Afrikaans music world and how he could do magic with words.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=829mYQVbl_A
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I'm devastated to hear this news. RIP Piet, what an amazing group you've helped create and host here... So many good times for us all.
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Fly High Piet!
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Rest in peace Piet.
I know I'm late.....condolences to the familly and to all that new him.
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Rest in peace SAS~CirX... you'll be missed :(
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Dang. Time claims us all. So young! S!
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R.I.P. :(
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A great loss.
Rest in peace
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ergo, my not reading all post here.
I have enjoyed this forum for quite some time. And never thought to think that this wonderful forum had to be created by someone special in everyone's heart.
I have enjoyed, and continue to enjoy this forum, and everyone here.
My greatest respect for the founder, and his family.
My prayers are also with his family in this time of grief, and lost.
voowe