Bulletin

It is with deep sadness that the Union community bids farewell to one of its most loyal and beloved stalwarts, 𝗠𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲 – 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘚𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘳𝘴 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘯 – who passed away this past weekend after a short illness.

Ms Fourie’s journey with Union began in 1996, when she joined Arthur Kingwill House as matron.

𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.

In 2000, she moved to Herby Arnott House, where her warmth and quiet strength touched countless lives. When the hostels later amalgamated, she returned to Arthur Kingwill House, where she continued to serve with unwavering dedication until her retirement in 2024.

Those who worked alongside Ms Fourie describe her as the embodiment of loyalty, hard work and trustworthiness.

She was someone who never watched the clock – 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸. Whether it was preparing for hostel suppers, assisting at marking centres, supporting sport festivals or catering for reunions, Ms Fourie gave her all, with a smile and a steadfast spirit.

𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁, 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿. Her strong yet gentle leadership style fostered harmony among staff and she shared an especially close bond with the kitchen team, with whom she spent countless busy evenings ensuring everything ran smoothly.

Her colleague and dear friend, Mrs Martie Sullivan, who worked alongside her for 25 years in the Union Schools’ boarding houses, shared heartfelt words: “𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳.”

Ms Fourie’s passing leaves a profound void in the Union family, but her legacy of service, strength and kindness will live on in the many lives she touched. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 – not only for her years of dedicated service, but for the heart and humanity she brought to all she did.

𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘔𝘴 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺.