by Thinus Ferreira
The South African radio and TV presenter Jeremy Mansfield died early on Monday morning after he had lost his battle with liver cancer. He was 59.
In a statement his former colleague Samantha Cowen confirmed his death, saying that he had died peacefully at home surrounded by family and friends.
Jeremy Mansfield is survived by his wife Jacqui and daughter, Gabriella. His mother died on 15 August which was his 59th birthday.
In January Jeremy Mansfield announced that he was diagnosed with liver cancer and in August revealed that his diagnosis of stage four liver cancer was terminal.
"This morning a light went out in the world. Jeremy Mansfield passed away just before dawn. He died peacefully at home surrounded by family and friends and boundless love," Samantha Cowen said.
"Jeremy lived large, he didn't know how to do small. He loved hard, laughed loud and managed to combine mischief and mayhem with heart and soul. The city was brighter and lighter with him on the airwaves, he changed lives every day."
"When he wasn't raising millions for charity, he was raising fresh hell! Under a naughty exterior Jeremy had a huge soft heart. A lot of people got to see and hear that over the radio but he saved his vulnerability for a select few."
"He was determined that the world be a better and shinier and funnier place and he drove the road to that destination at 1000 miles an hour with no rearview mirror, all of the rest of us clinging on for dear life!
"We will miss him horribly. The family is devastated and is asking for privacy during this time. Right to the end we were reading him your messages and he was happy to hear them all, every single one. He knew he was loved and it mattered. He mattered. There will be a new star in the sky tonight. As he would have said, Good night Bunnies."
Mansfield is known for his years of work as a radio and TV presenter on SuperSport, Front Row, the host of A Word or 2 on SABC2, CNBC (DStv 410), voice-over and MC work, and is the author of humour and cookbooks. He was a presenter on 94.7's The Rude Awakening for 13 years between 1997 and 2010 and a few years ago started his own Mansfield2day YouTube channel.
Jeremy Mansfield battled and survived leukaemia 13 years ago.
