by Gisele Bonnici and Dr. François Bonnici jnr
François Bonnici made world-class diabetes care accessible to the public of Cape Town and beyond. The humanist, paediatrician and patient advocate passed peacefully on August 31, aged 86.
Husband. Father. Teacher. Physician. Mentor. Humanist. Bibliophile. Visionary. Advocate. National Sportsman. Polyglot. Idealist. Activist. Lover of history, art and music.
François was loved and cherished by those he cared for and was respected by people in the Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities in Cape Town.
From Govan Mbeki to children in Khayelitsha, he treated every person with the same dignity and respect, caring for thousands of families across South Africa and the continent.
Born in Egypt in 1938, as the sixth child of Edgar and Hélène Bonnici, François experienced a rich, multicultural and multi-religious upbringing in his beloved Alexandria, completing his schooling at St Marc College, graduating as the top student in the country.
His family found refuge in another coastal African city following the geopolitics of the Suez crisis in 1956.
He landed in Cape Town at the age of 18, and joined UCT as a medical student in 1957, where he remained for the next 67 years graduating and serving as both a paediatrician and endocrinologist.
He was the head of the Paediatric and Adolescent Endocrine and Diabetes Unit, Groote Schuur and Red Cross Children’s Hospital. Alongside work and life partner, Dr Areti Philotheou Bonnici, they cared for generations of people and families across Cape Town.
François chose to work in public hospitals throughout his career, while being renowned as one of the leading figures in diabetes treatment globally. His life’s vocation was dedicated in service to children, teenagers, adults and their families, particularly those with diabetes and endocrine conditions.
As one of his medical colleagues reflected, “at heart he has always been a true paediatrician with a special empathy and bond with young children”.
François was a champion of holistic care and patient empowerment, driving awareness and education, training thousands of medical students, registrars, nurses, health professionals, patient educators and families across the African continent.
He was a people-centred advocate of health and patient ally long before these terms were used to describe such humane and progressive approaches in medicine.
His desire to seek connections in shared identities and passions not only brought him many friends around the world, but also allowed him to champion the cause of people with diabetes throughout Africa.
He was the president of the South African Diabetes Association, president of the Pan African Diabetes Study Group, and received a lifetime award from the International Society of Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes for his service to the field of diabetes education, among many other recognitions.
François also put Cape Town in the international spotlight, serving two terms as the vice-president of the International Diabetes Federation, bringing the largest ever conference to the CTICC with over 15000 participants and visitors in 2006.
Many will remember him as a man comfortable and at home in many cultures, who believed in the richness of diversity. He spoke six languages fluently and enjoyed interacting with every person he encountered.
He loved the natural beauty of Cape Town, and represented South Africa, playing basketball for the Proteas in the 1960s.
The teachings of St Francis of Assisi from his youth remained a constant reference for his world view and deep love of humanity throughout his life. He approached his professional life the same way he led his personal life – in his own irrepressible spirit of idealism, humanity, kindness, intellect, and love – whistling opera all the while.
He will be deeply missed by his beloved wife and work partner of 55 years Areti, children Gisele and François, grand-children Luc-François, Leonardo and Felix.
A service will be held in his memory at Our Lady of Good Hope Catholic Church in Sea Point tomorrow at 12.30pm.
* Gisele Bonnici, Américas Regional Manager, International Detention Coalition (IDC)
* Dr. François Bonnici, Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Cape Town and Head of Foundations, World Economic Forum.