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“We are grateful to have known Dr Wickens, and his loss is very deeply felt by his many friends, colleagues and the patients he cared for during his sterling medical career, which included more than 30 years’ practising at our hospital.” Dr Wickens, who his family describe as ‘a passionate dad and oupa’ who took great pride in supporting them, is survived by his wife Marlene, their children Walter, Nicolas and Cindy, and grandchildren Gareth, William, Courtney, Ryan, Isabella, Kelly and Josephine. Generations of patients benefitted from Dr Wickens’ characteristic blend of supreme medical skill and sociability, with many who he treated as children returning as adults with their own children to receive care. “The staff in his practice adored him and were like family to him, and he would offer them support and advice whenever they were going through difficulties,” Bothma says. Born in Pofadder, Dr Wickens worked as a general practitioner in Windhoek. It was only later on in his career that he decided to specialise as a paediatrician through Stellenbosch University. He then gained valuable experience at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town. A kind and generous man with a sense of humour, Dr Wickens loved nature and walking. He had a passion for aeroplanes and flying, as well as watching the Grand Prix. His favourite pastime was going back to his roots in the Kalahari to camp and forget about the world while spending time with his beloved family.
“Dr Wickens’ warmth and genuine caring will be sorely missed and very fondly remembered in our community,” Bothma concludes.
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