6 / 67
CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Vol 24, No 2, March 2013
4
AFRICA
Andries. By then he had risen to be the dean but despite these
many honours, he bore his senior positions with dignity and
humility, always keeping a human touch, which warmed him to
both his co-workers and visitors.
Andries’ hobbies included cycling, walking and, most
intriguingly, making boutique wines in his retirement. The initial
pressing was achieved literally by his feet pressing the grapes.
The brand name of the wines is Galleon and in John Platter’s
book
South African Wines
(2012) he is, I believe, the only listed
cardiologist winemaker, with the intriguing appellation of a
‘garagiste winemaker’. Platter quotes Andries as saying that ‘the
life extension of people who drink wine daily in moderation with
food increases by 30%’.
I treasure two cases of Andries’ first vintage. His first major
distinction in wine making was a Michelangelo Gold for his
Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. His 2009 Sauvignon Blanc achieved
four stars.
Above all, and despite his major professional commitments,
Andries participated actively in a happy and harmonious family
life. His wife Rusty was equally remarkable in her personal
qualities, and in her devotion to the family and their many
friends. Socially, Andries and Rusty were seldom seen apart.
Professionally, Andries also worked with his elder son,
Prof Paul Brink, to promote the group PACE Africa (Prevent
Arrhythmia Cardiac Events), as part of Paul’s flourishing co-
operative projects with the renowned Italian electrophysiologist,
Prof Peter Schwartz. His younger son, Tinus, is a trained medical
specialist in neurology. There are two daughters; Maryna Johnson
is a psychologist and has two sons and one daughter. Annaliese
Brink has her own school (Natural Learning Academy) and has
one daughter and one son. Andries leaves a rich heritage of four
children, 10 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
The last time I had contact with Andries was at the South
African Heart Association meeting at Sun City in July 2012. We
shared a dinner table and a bottle of good red wine at the social
event. As ever, he was sympathetic and alert, and asked me about
my work and my latest concepts and publications. He told me
he was planning a book to encompass cardiology in Africa. He
invited me to write a chapter and only his untimely passing on at
the age of 89 halted the development of that unique book.
Lionel Opie
Tribute to the late Professor Oluwole Ademola Adebo
Oluwole Ademola Adebo was born in Lagos on 16 August 1944,
the first son to Chief Simeon and Regina Adebo. As his father
was the former head of the Civil Service of the old western
region of Nigeria and later United Nations Under-Secretary
General, he had the opportunity of travelling extensively around
the world and had access to the best education in Nigeria, Europe
and the USA.
Prof Adebo started at the University of Ibadan staff primary
school and at the age of 11 he moved to the UK for further
schooling, where he attended Leighton Park School, Reading
and lived with English guardians during the holidays. This
perhaps contributed to his being ‘different’ and he was often
referred to as ‘oyinbo’ by others.
Prof Adebo came back home in 1963 for his undergraduate
studies in Medicine at the University of Ibadan, graduating
with Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB BS)
degrees in 1968. He did his internship at the University College
Hospital (UCH), Ibadan between 1968 and 1969, after which
he preceded to Strong Memorial Hospital, New York where he
undertook his residency in general surgery. Thereafter he went
to the Providence Rhode Island where he took residency in
cardiothoracic surgery. He then became lecturer and director of
Emergency Medical Services at Highland Hospital, Rochester,
NewYork.
A turning point in Prof Adebo’s life may be traced back to
a recent entry from his journal which reads, ‘a spiritual rebirth
in 1976 altered my life, goals and perspectives. Working for
God became the defining motivation for my endeavours. My
motivation for diligence, integrity and excellence was to please
God, who gave me purpose.’
In 1979 he returned to Nigeria and first took up the position
of senior registrar in cardiothoracic surgery at the UCH and
later lectureship in cardiothoracic surgery at the College of
Medicine of the University of Ibadan and honorary consultant
cardiothoracic surgeon to the University College Hospital,
continued on page 23…