| Where there once was a
bright and cheery child at Wynberg Girls High – always taking part in class
discussions – there is a vacant seat. Candice
Schwartz of Loftus River, will no longer occupy her desk in the grade 9 LK class.
The 14-year-old school girl was found dead on Saturday, after
visiting the Community Chest carnival in Maynardville with her parents.
According to her father, Roderick, the family returned from
the carnival at about midnight on Friday. "Candice’s mother was watching TV and
she was playing computer games. They both went to bed at about 1.30am," said Mr
Schwartz.
Candice’s 20-year-old sister, Claudia, found her at
about 3am. Her father’s .38 revolver was found next to her.
At the Schwartz’s Wildebees Road home there is a sense
of bereavement and bewilderment. Mr Schwartz said the house is "very much filled with
sadness", and attributes this to the "sudden and untimely nature" of his
daughter’s death. He said it had been hard to cope these past few days, but the
support of hundreds of friends "has been our strength".
Mr Schwartz told the bulletin that when Candy was around,
there was always laughter |
"In her quiet
way, she made jokes all the time," he said. Mr Schwartz described Candice as a "computer fundi", who not only
played games but wrote programmes as well. "She was also fond of her two dogs, Champ
and Benji, and she loved playing cricket in the road with her friends", he said.
Candy was the younger of two children. Her parents described
her as close to her sister, with whom she shared a room.
Wynberg Girls High principal, Shirley Harding, described
Candice as a lovely, honest, reliable, hard-working, sweet-natured, and really friendly
child, who "never gave us any reason to think anything was wrong at school or even at
home". Mrs Harding said, "She had a nice circle of friends at school, and it is
a great tragedy for us as well as her friends." Mrs Harding said Candice always had a
smile on her face and everyone at school knew her. She added that Candice was a quite
girl, but always took part in class events.
"We sympathize with her parents," Mrs Harding said.
Candice will be buried from the St Augustine’s Church in
5th Avenue, Lotus River on Saturday. The service will start at 9.30am. |
