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Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Made every second count
OBITUARY LOUISE SCOTT-GALLAGHER Journalist "She was the glue that held us all together with her life of love, laughter and family. "We will always be our family of three, Louise will never be forgotten, she lives in Lily and watches over her." It is fitting that the story of Louise Scott-Gallagher's life should start with the words her husband, Craig Gallagher, shared during the service to celebrate her life. Certainly neither she nor anyone who knew her ever believed the day would come so soon that her life would need to be celebrated, so characteristically resolute and unswayed was she from the belief that she would beat cancer. As her friend Alison Raye said, in words read out at the celebration - no matter the challenges she faced, Louise's determination to pursue her dreams and live her life on her own terms was unwavering. Louise was born on February 3, 1981, in Omagh, Northern Ireland. She followed two sisters, Andrea and Diane, and was herself followed by her brother Bob. In 1984, when Louise was 3 years old, her mother Anne died from breast cancer, leaving her father Andrew to raise the four children with the help of extended family, on the Scott farm near Gillygooley in County Tyrone. An incredibly tight bond with her family would be maintained through Louise's life. It was a life with not a minute wasted. From a small child, Louise was busy - learning to cook and play music, participating in church, family and community activities, youth groups, Girls' Brigade and general socialising took up her time. She did well at school, attending Omagh High School, where school discos became a term highlight, complete with carefully planned outfits and teenage antics with her sisters and brother, followed by two years at Omagh Academy. Music was always a big part of her life - there were piano, bagpipes and cornet lessons and she spent hours dancing and singing to records, creating routines, talking with her sister Diane late into the night, listening to Atlantic 252 and recording the Sunday night Top 10 charts so she could play her favourite New Kids On The Block songs over and over. She would remain a life-long lover of parties and banter; as her friend Josie Spillane said at her celebration, Louise was "always the first on the dance floor, and often the last one home". A collector of friends around the world, she had a gift for bringing people together. Her exceptional empathy meant she was often the first to provide comfort and care at times of need. A prolific cook, she was a "feeder - that's how she showed love". Many of the people she collected were compelled to join in following Louise's Gillygooley traditions, whether it was sharing a home-made morsel packed in Tupperware or the full Gillygooley Christmas dinner experience, featuring prawn cocktail, turkey and wheaten bread. In 1998 when she was 17 and working at a cafe, Louise was badly hurt in the deadly Omagh bombing. This moment in her life affected her deeply, she lost friends in the bombing, but refused to be defined by it and decided to move to Coleraine in Northern Ireland to study at the University of Ulster. She completed her bachelor of arts degree in English and history in 2002. In 2003, she went to Japan to teach English and there met her good friend Sarah Taylor, who would, in time, be the catalyst for Louise's first trip to New Zealand. Louise returned to Northern Ireland from Japan in 2005, well-versed in socialising, with many new friends added to her collection, and she completed a journalism course, which was to become her passion and career. She started as a journalist at the Tyrone Constitution , later moving to the Dungannon Courier . A stint after that as the press officer with the Ulster Unionist Party in Belfast spoke to a deep personal and familial connection to politics, which Louise spoke about usually only with those who she felt "got" Northern Ireland. Some people felt that her ability to take a position and argue it meant she quite possibly could have had a career in politics herself. In 2011 she moved to England to work in public relations at the Yorkshire Building Society. Sadly, tragedy was to strike again, as Louise's father, whom she was exceptionally close to, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer and died in 2013. Louise decided to go travelling before arriving in Queenstown in 2014. Her northern Irish charm landed her a job at popular restaurant and bar Gantleys, before signing on that year as a reporter with local weekly newspaper, Mountain Scene . In late 2017 she interviewed local event manager Craig Gallagher for a story. He was to become the love of her life and they quickly became inseparable. They wanted the same things - to start a family, travel, develop their careers and spend quality time with friends, and their home became the central location for gatherings and impressive Christmas parties. In early 2018 Louise became the regional editor for the Otago Daily Times , in Dunedin, commuting from Queenstown. She gained New Zealand residency in 2020 and late that year took a role as a senior communications adviser for the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, based in Queenstown. She was back home. Over the years Louise had become an involved and much-loved actual and special aunt to many children, including eight nieces and nephews. After several years trying for her own longed-for child, she found out she was pregnant following IVF treatment, in February 2023. A few months later, she felt a lump in her breast. It was cancer and she underwent a single mastectomy in June. A treasured daughter, Lily, was born healthy in September 2023, at 32 weeks. Wanting her daughter to have her own memories of her mum, Louise did everything she could to fight the cancer that was taking over her body, never letting it take over her mind or her determination. While undergoing multiple rounds of different chemotherapy treatments she continued cooking, cleaning and caring for Lily and Craig, spending as much time as possible with friends and family, travelling and working, and organised and attended parties, events, coffees, lunches and dinners until only weeks before she died. On May 7 this year, she received the news the chemotherapy had not worked. She and Craig married on May 19 and she died peacefully at home, surrounded by her family, the following night. She was 44 and she made every second count. - Contributed
News24
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
'There will never be another': Acting fraternity honours Don Mlangeni Nawa at memorial
Renowned South African actor Don Mlangeni Nawa was honoured at a memorial service on Thursday afternoon at the Soweto Theatre. Mlangeni Nawa's cause of death was not disclosed. However, several speakers at the memorial service alluded to his battle with ill health over several years. The indelible mark that revered stage and screen actor Don Mlangeni Nawa left on the South African entertainment industry will never be forgotten. As they spoke at the Soweto Theatre on Thursday afternoon, mourners and speakers at Mlangeni Nawa's memorial service concurred "The talent in this man was unexplainable," his The Estate co-star Clementine Mosimane said. "Abuti Don was so disciplined. He embraced his talent with so much discipline, with so much honour." Mlangeni Nawa died on Wednesday, 16 April. His cause of death was not disclosed, but speakers during the memorial service spoke about the 65-year-old's battle with deteriorating health for a number of years. "When I started seeing Abuti Don not being well, we were on the set of The Estate, round about 2021, 2022," Mosimane said. "I saw Abuti Don losing weight. I saw Abuti Don being sick, but believe you me, he kept the discipline of being a thespian. There was not a day when he came to set in that situation where he would say I want to go home. He would rather ask to take a nap, gather his strength and then wake up. That was the Abuti Don I know; that was the passion he had for his art." Wrapping up, Mosimane said she wished for her dearly departed on-screen husband and colleague to rest in peace, adding his children should "run with his legacy". "We learned from him. There will never be another Don Mlangeni Nawa. There never will be. We will miss his voice, we will miss him," she said. Fellow Isidingo actor and now director Krijay Govender also praised the act's talent, speaking about how much more Mlangeni Nawa's career would have blossomed if he had gone international. "His career would have surpassed any one of the big guys that you know. Denzel Washington could not even touch this man when the camera rolled," she said. "And I'm not saying this because I'm a friend of his, I'm speaking from the experience of being his director on set." Govender went on to speak highly of how Mlangeni Nawa portrayed his long-time character on Isidingo, Bra Zeb Matabane. "He was never a celebrity, he was always an actor - always an actor first and that's why it's so befitting that we're here and this memorial is here, back at the theatre," she said. "He's come full circle, bringing it back to the theatre." OBITUARY | Remembering Don Mlangeni Nawa, the TV icon beloved by millions of South Africans Addressing the actor's five children and three grandchildren, he advised them to "go forward and do whatever it is that you want to do". Other speakers at Mlangeni Nawa's memorial included his co-stars from various shows, namely Keke Mphuthi who spoke fondly about the father and daughter bond they developed both on and off-screen. Abomama actor Asavela Mngqithi battled tears as she spoke about their relationship, which also developed on the set of the show. She spoke heartily about how she and the actor were there for each other in difficult times. Veteran actor Magic Hlatshwayo was also in attendance and gave a heartfelt tribute to Mlangeni Nawa whom he acted with previously. At the height of his career, the actor whose career spanned several decades, starred in multiple stage and screen productions including The Throne, Shaka iLembe, Savage Beauty and many more. Mlangeni Nawa will be buried on Saturday, 26 April, after a funeral service at the Alberton Civic Theatre.
News24
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
Details of veteran actor Don Mlangeni Nawa's memorial and funeral services
Memorial and funeral services for celebrated actor Don Mlangeni Nawa will be held on 24 April at Soweto Theatre (14:30) and 26 April at Alberton Civic Theatre (08:00), respectively. Known for his iconic roles in Isidingo, Sgudi Snaysi, and other hit productions, Don Mlangeni Nawa leaves a lasting legacy as one of South Africa's most cherished actors. Tributes pour in for Mlangeni Nawa, with industry colleagues and fans hailing his remarkable talent, lifetime achievements, and unforgettable contributions to the entertainment world. Details for the memorial and funeral services of celebrated veteran actor Don Mlangeni Nawa, 65, who died on 16 April, have been announced. The actor's memorial service will be on 24 April at 14:30 at Soweto Theatre, and his funeral service will be on 26 April at 08:00 at Alberton Civic Theatre. Mlangeni Nawa's family announced his death last Wednesday. "He was the heart of our family - a loving father, brother and friend. To the world, he was a gifted and respected actor whose presence lit up every stage and screen he graced," the family said. "His legacy lives on in the lives he touched, the stories he told and the love he gave so freely." The cause of his death was not shared. OBITUARY | Remembering Don Mlangeni Nawa, the TV icon beloved by millions of South Africans Mlangeni Nawa had his breakout TV roles in the 1980s with Sgudi Snaysi and Ubambo Lwami. He was best known for his role as the family man Bra Zeb Matabane on the popular SABC soap drama Isidingo, which he played from 1998 to 2014. His accolades include a 2006 South African Film and Television Award for Best Actor (along with two other nominations) and lifetime achievement awards at the 2018 Royalty Soapie Awards and 2015 Simon "Mabhunu" Sabela Awards. He started his acting career in theatre and has credits in TV shows like Uzalo, Hlala Kwabafileyo, The Estate, Shaka iLembe, Savage Beauty, and Ferguson Films' The River, The Throne, and Rockville. Since the news of his death, industry colleagues and fans have expressed their grief and admiration for him. Bomb Productions released a tribute highlighting his "powerful and memorable" performance as King Langa in Shaka iLembe. "Don was not only a remarkable talent but a true legend of our industry. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all who were touched by his work. He will be remembered and revered always," the production house share.
