Local businessman Ming Chan-Henry will be fondly remembered as Basayi, an isiXhosa nickname given to him by community members, and a man who was always willing to help others out.
Local businessman Ming Chan-Henry will be fondly remembered as Basayi, an isiXhosa nickname given to him by community members, and a man who was always willing to help others out.
For over 65 years he owned the general dealer on Dr Jacob Zuma Drive, which like him became an important part of the community he served. Last Saturday he was laid to rest at a service at Saint Patrick's Anglican Church.
Chan-Henry died in a car crash near Colchester on 27 September, apparently after suffering a heart attack while driving. He had been on his way to collect stock for his shop.
The family business has kept its doors open however, thanks to Chan-Henry's daughter Charisse Evans who learnt the ropes after working alongside her father for many years.
When italGrocott's Mail/ital visited the family at the shop last week it was business as usual as the late owner's son Neil Chan-Henry took a few minutes to reflect on his father's life.
Born in 1933 in New Street, Chan-Henry then moved to Grahamstown East to start up his business, Neil said. He told me that they moved to the township because people here used to buy cash, but in town they wanted to buy on credit, Neil said.
The Chan-Henry family had immigrated to South Africa from China during the Anglo Boer War at the turn of the century. Chan-Henry was then forced to drop out of school when he was 15 to help his mother run the family business following his father's death.
After marrying wife Lilly, Chan-Henry and his family moved into a house one building away from his general dealer before moving to Westhill in town in 1973, where the family still resides. Neil said they had to get permits and permission from neighbours to move into the white area during apartheid.
Always ready to give a helping hand, Chan-Henry still did favours for people in the broader community after moving from Grahamstown East. At some stage he even allowed people to receive their post at his home and I remember we would even give pensioners credit and do deliveries for them, Neil said.
