Have you ever wondered why so many shuffle impassively through life – uninspired by the majesty of it, unencumbered by the sadness of it. You know what I mean – the followers, the unthinking consumers, the unexcitable foot-soldiers of circumstance.
At the opposite end of the human spectrum there are the comets that blast through our lives, scorching us with their effervescence – the life and soul of the party, Duracell bunnies yoyoing from one passionate win to the next crushing defeat, and back again.
And then there was André. He didn’t fit into any category. And there didn’t seem to be anyone else quite like him.
André Morghenthal's passion and inspiration for South Africa and its wines and vines will be his lasting memory
The worst thing about André was that he didn’t like conflict. He would rather have run through a brick wall. And that’s not such a bad trait. Like all of us he had flaws, but weirdly when I try to think about them now, they all seem quite delightful and endearing eccentricities, not flaws.
I think it’s because you didn’t notice them in the warm light that constantly shone from his heart – even when he was hurting, or when a lack of self-belief caused him to hesitate.
I could mention the big-picture patience, the love of family, natural generosity, the work ethic, the detail guy, the imaginative energy, the ability to construct a vision and set himself, with galvanizing determination, in the direction of his goals. These things will be covered by others as they reminisce about a very special man we have lost.
Colleagues and friends will describe André as the ultimate ‘people person’ which is accurate, but he also had a superpower – he could sense what those around him were feeling. I think it was as much of a burden as a blessing, because love was felt as keenly as negativity.
There was an intensity to his humanity that was almost on the spectrum. When he was entertaining, laughing, working, fussing like a mother hen, you could see his spider senses vibrating as he reacted instinctively and without effort, to changes in people’s body language, or facial expressions.
He pre-empted their needs, often over his own, encouraging their joy or addressing their concerns before they even verbalized them. He over-promised and over-delivered his entire career – right up until the end, when we should have known something was terribly amiss.
Bruce Jack: "He also had a superpower – he could sense what those around him were feeling"
This hyper-sensitive radar of life he possessed exposed his heart and his soul to both the light and the dark in others. The strength of character and the resilience of purpose that is required, under these circumstances, to keep the machine on the racetrack was awe-inspiring to me. I think it must have been exhausting.
André embraced the finer things in life with a raw, infectious passion. I wrote an article about 28 years ago where I called him ‘The Hungry Man’, but I wasn’t referring to food and wine. André had a next level hunger for knowledge, reading, learning, creative expression – in poetry, in the limelight, in love and in deeply-appreciated comraderies with fellow curious and Hungry Humans.
I was hoping no one asked me to write a few words about my friend. I knew the process would unsettle me. But I was duly asked by the Agulhas Wine Triangle members (an organisation of the winemakers at the southern tip of Africa). What I didn’t expect was the wave of grief that has hit me trying to complete this task.
I started adapting the above from a short note I wrote for his 40th birthday. It has taken me hours to get through.
Disarmngly humble
André Morghenthal made an enormous contribution to the South African industry and was the most loyal, and friendly individual could you ever wish to meet
André was disarmingly humble, but there was a something different about the intensity of the man that made even his humbleness powerful. I don’t think this is usual.
This characteristic kept framing my memories of this larger-than-life guy with a crushing handshake and a warm, broad smile that made you feel part of a powerful secret.
André’s humbleness was ultimately intimidating, like Maximus Decimus Meridius in the movie ‘Gladiator’. If André ever bent down to grab a handful of South African dirt, you wanted to be on the right side of the battle.
Besides being a good oke and a lekker person to braai with, he was an evangelist for our wines, a champion for our old vines, a herald for our new viticultural areas, a beacon for friends, an example of service in the name of a cause - our industry. Unwavering, unselfish and always totally committed to the benefit of all. May his legacy be our inspiration.
We desperately need more people like you, bud.
* This tribute was first published for the Agulhas Wine Triangle.
