“Barry is now with his beloved Reeva,” lawyer for the Steenkamp family said after Reeva Steenkamp’s father, Barry, died in his sleep on Thursday night.
While tributes are pouring in following the death of the 80-year-old, Tania Koen, the family’s lawyer, yesterday told the Pretoria News that it was with great sadness and with a heavy heart that she confirmed the death.
“Barry recently celebrated his 80th birthday. He will always be remembered for the ‘big teddy bear’ he always was and the incredible sadness which was part of his life for the past 10 years. He never got over Reeva’s death, and he could never find peace with the fact that she is no longer here. We hope that he is now with Reeva and that he will find peace,” Koen said.
Barry had struggled with his health for several years, and it is believed the death of his only child only worsened his condition. According to Koen, Barry had been suffering from heart complications.
He also suffered a stroke during the trial of Oscar Pistorius following the murder of Reeva on Valentine’s Day 2013.
Barry will be remembered by many who followed the murder trial as the silent man who took his seat in court next to his wife, June, listening to the heart-breaking evidence regarding the circumstances under which his daughter had died.
Barry and June struggled to accept the death of Reeva.
Neither of them felt that Pistorius had spoken the truth about the circumstances under which Reeva had died.
Pistorius maintained he had suspected that there was an intruder in the house, and when he fired four shots through the closed toilet door, he thought he was shooting at the intruder.
His version was that he never suspected that Reeva was behind the closed door.
Barry was the only one of the Steenkamp family who met Pistorius face to face last year as part of Pistorius’ bid to obtain parole.
Barry met Pistorius in prison as part of what is known as a victim-offender dialogue.
What was said on that occasion is not known, as neither Barry nor Koen ever divulged the conversation. Koen, at the time, asked that her client’s privacy be respected.
Barry missed Pistorius’ bail hearing at the end of March this year due to ill health.
June, however, attended to represent the family.
Barry and June celebrated what would have been Reeva’s 40th birthday last month.
Pistorius is still embroiled in legal proceedings in a bid to be released on parole.
He has turned to the Constitutional Court in this regard, but is awaiting news on whether the apex court will accept his application for direct access.
Condolences for the Steenkamp family are pouring in on social media.
Pretoria News