ESRA Magazine
ESRAmagazine
ESRAmagazine categories

Marvyn Gerald Hatchuel 1921 – 2015

Co-authors: Walter Hatchuel and Lily-Rose Michalowsky 

Marvyn Hatchuel was regarded by all as a perfect gentleman. He was a prominent and upstanding member of the Jewish communities of Rhodesia and South Africa and of the English-speaking community in Israel. He devoted much of his life to serving his family, his communities and his countries.

Marvyn was born in Rhodesia on June 22, 1921. During his youth he also lived in Paris and London. Returning to South Africa in 1937, he qualified as a pharmacist and opened a pharmacy in Johannesburg. Marvyn was a well-known pharmacist and shop owner for many years in Johannesburg and then Salisbury. He also served as a medical officer in the Royal Air Force in Rhodesia during World War II.

Marvyn met Aliza Hatchwell during a 1952 visit to Israel. They married in 1953 and returned to South Africa, and then moved to Rhodesia two years later. He was a doting father to their two daughters, Dina and Ruth, and a loving grandfather to their children - Marc, Robbie and Leah.

During his years in Rhodesia, Marvyn was an active member of both the Ashkenazi and Sephardi congregations, serving on the management committees of both, as well as being a member of the Hebrew Order of David. He also served for many years on various committees of the Central African Zionist Organization (CAZO) and eventually became its chairman. And he helped youth movements, including serving on the Habonim Youth Council Committee.

Among Marvyn's proudest accomplishments was that he and Aliza were instrumental in the establishment and operation of the Sharon Jewish School in Salisbury, which remains to this day the best primary school in what is now Harare. For the school's recent 50th anniversary, Marvyn prepared a scrapbook of pictures and reminiscences with his typical attention to detail and organization.

Marvyn and Aliza fulfilled their Zionist dream by returning to Israel on aliyah in 1987. While continuing his career as a pharmacist, he found time to represent CAZO on the board of Telfed, where he served for a number of years. He also organized Ndaba reunions to maintain the community spirit in Israel of former Rhodesians.

Several years after Aliza passed away in 1993, Marvyn met Lily-Rose Michalowsky and was her devoted companion for the past 18 years.

During this period, Marvyn was a keen bowler and social fixture at the Raanana Bowling Club, where he also participated in a program for guiding blind bowlers. He volunteered for ESRAmagazine as a proofreader, and packed food parcels for the needy for the Leket organization.

Marvyn passed away on May 6, 2015 and was buried in the Kfar Saba cemetery on May 8. He will be sorely missed by Lily-Rose, his daughters and grandchildren, his surviving brother, Walter, and his children and grandchildren, and his extended family in Israel and across the world.

An interview by David Bloom with Marvyn Hatchuel can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnkPpsvGTYo

 

Comments

No comments made yet. Be the first to submit a comment
Guest
Friday, 29 March 2024

Captcha Image

Israel

MagazineIsrael- 2019-homepage
There are pockets of coexistence
which kindle hope.
Old cities and very new cities with amazing stories
Find out about the Israeli art scene
The best tours in Israel with ESRA members