“I’ve lived a good life.”
These were the parting words of the late Lorna Hughes the evening before her departure on a holiday that would ultimately be her final trip. Tributes continue to pour in for Hughes, following her sudden death in an accident just outside Calvinia in the Northern Cape last Friday afternoon (26 August).
The 64-year-old is fondly remembered by locals as an animal lover and wine aficionado, but has also been lauded for her overall passion for the community, love for people and compassionate, caring demeanour.
She was married to South African wine legend David Hughes for 21 years and served as general manager of the Animal Welfare Society Stellenbosch (AWSS) for a decade.
In a statement issued by AWSS, her son Jesse Roos confirmed his mother’s tragic death on route to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park with long-time friend and Stellenbosch pilot David Shakeshaft. According to police reports, the Land Rover the two were travelling in left the road and overturned a few kilometers outside Calvinia at about 15:30.
Roos said his mother died on the scene. “It was a two-week holiday that she and David had been planning for some time, and she was really looking forward to it,” he said.
Shakeshaft sustained extensive injuries and, after being treated at Abraham Esau Hospital in Calvinia, he was airlifted to Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital in Cape Town late on Friday night and is currently in a stable condition.
Northern Cape police confirmed that a case of culpable homicide is being investigated.
Hughes, an advocate for animal welfare, initially joined the local animal shelter as a part-time volunteer and board member 12 years ago, before taking over as general manager 10 years ago. Known for stopping on the side of freeways to rescue strays, she also studied towards a diploma in animal behaviour. “It’s a credit to her hard work over the years that everyone at the shelter – although obviously extremely shocked and shaken by the news – will go on performing their duties to the best of their abilities,” said Jessica Perrins, head of fundraising and communications for AWSS.
“She taught us well and we’ll keep doing everything we can to honour her memory as well as serve the animals.”
Apart from her love and passion for animals, she also had a true passion for flying, gardening, growing vineyards, wine and food.
Dave fondly recalled her taking him for a very real aerobatic loop on their first flight together shortly after they’d met at the Devon Valley Hotel. At the time, Lorna ran her own grape farm and served as a viticultural and farming consultant to some Devon Valley grape growers.
“She was an amazing woman,” he said, trawling through the couple’s memories over the years, including hiking the Fish River Canyon, walking 750 km through Spain on the famous Camino de Santiago in 2004, travelling to the UK when he served as the chairperson of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s judging panel and visiting whisky distilleries in Scotland. “Lorna loved to travel – and it was why she and ‘Shakey’ were so looking forward to their time in Kgalagadi.”
Long-time friend Bennie Howard, also a Cape Wine Master and deputy chairperson of Veritas, was overcome with emotion when speaking about his dear friend of more than 20 years. “She was the type of person you just wanted to open your heart to; a lady with much talent, with a love for farming, a knowledge for vineyards and vines, and a passion for gardening, especially vegetables,” Howard related.
“She had a true passion for animals, and she ploughed all that passion into her work at the AWSS. But she also had a love for people, which was evident in the way she interacted with families adopting pets from the shelter. The passion and love just flowed out of her, and this touched everyone with whom she came into contact.”
Howard further spoke about Hughes’ passion for gardening, wine and food, common interests and loves that the friends often spent hours chatting over. “After growing vineyards at Stonehill in Devon Valley, she started her own wine label with Mark Carmichael-Green. The label was aptly named after her beloved dog Bristle, and it produced well-made wines – white and rosé – which sold quite a bit prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“She was intimately involved in the wine industry and the label was very close to her heart . . . Of course, it really helped that she was also very fond of drinking wine. Lorna was the complete person, who possessed a great personality – something which transcends and shines through in her only son, Jesse.”
A memorial service will be held at a date still to be finalised and announced. Roos requested those who knew Hughes who wish to donate flowers, rather to donate to AWSS. “It’s what mom would have wanted,” he said.
