Deon Terry, a pioneer in South Africa’s emergency medical services and a beloved figure in Ocean View, has died at the age of 58 after a courageous battle with stage 4 pancreatic and liver cancer.
Terry’s name became synonymous with care, leadership, and relentless service — not just in his home community, but across the country.
In 2024, he was nationally honoured with the Batho Pele and Innovation Award for his outstanding contributions to health and emergency services. But his legacy, say those who knew him, can’t be captured in a single accolade.
“When I started school, I was fascinated with lights and sirens. I knew then that I wanted to work in the pre-hospital environment,” Terry once said, recalling the childhood moment that sparked his life’s purpose.
Raised by a single mother and unable to afford tertiary education, Terry found his way through determination.
He began as a volunteer with the South African Red Cross Society, trained part-time, and eventually became a full-time paramedic — always driven by a desire to help those most in need.
In Ocean View, he established a satellite ambulance station to serve his community faster and more efficiently.
He also trained nearly 1,000 residents in basic first aid, empowering others to step up in moments of crisis.
“In Ocean View, we don’t wait for bystanders; we need doers,” Terry often said — a motto that guided his life’s work.
His wife of 27 years, Paula Terry, remembers him as a devoted father, husband and community figure who never slowed down — not even when he became gravely ill.
“He inspired so many young people,” she said. “Even while he was sick, he was attending online meetings, training, and still giving back. He was an adventurous person — up until the very last moments he still wanted to climb into an ambulance and help.”
“He would get up in his pyjamas in the middle of the night to help someone. That was Deon.”
The couple raised three children, and Paula shared that his commitment to their family was unwavering.
“There was a time when he said each child must get their education, no matter what. And we continued to do our best. He was a good husband, a good father. He took everyone as family — our house was always open.
"Our kids were trained the basic of first aid, and Deon, Deon used to pull me into his helping everyone too..."
Even during his illness, Terry kept his hands busy with gardening, woodwork, and staying connected to the EMS world. He hoped to return to work by September, despite the pain.
“He was a fighter till the end,” said Paula. “We had this mantra — stay positive and just believe.”
Craig Wylie, Director of Emergency Medical Services, described Terry as a towering figure in EMS and a hero to those he served.
“He was an inspiration to all, holding his community the closest to his heart, developing and strengthening them every day,” said Wylie. “What a loss to us all, and more so to the community he served.”
One of Terry’s long-time colleagues added:
“I can only speak about my own experience with Deon, but he was a ‘Groot Gees’ — a big spirit. Loved and respected by so many, and his shoes will be impossible to fill.”
His impact was deeply personal too.
Locals shared that “Uncle Deon het twee van my kinders gevang” — Uncle Deon delivered two of my children — a testament to how closely intertwined his life was with those around him.
As news of his passing spread, messages flooded in from every corner of the country.
From paramedics to patients, community leaders to families he helped, the sentiment was the same: South Africa has lost a true giant.
Weekend Argus