Paediatrician and endocrinologist François Bonnici made world-class diabetes care accessible to the public of Cape Town and beyond.
The humanist and patient advocate passed away peacefully on August 31, aged 86. His son François pays tribute to him through this obituary.
Bonnici was loved and cherished by those he cared for and was respected by people in the Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities of Cape Town.
From Govan Mbeki to children in Khayelitsha, he treated every person with the same dignity and respect, caring for thousands of families across South Africa and the continent.
Born in Egypt in 1938, as the sixth child of Edgar and Hélène Bonnici, he experienced a rich, multicultural and multireligious upbringing in his beloved Alexandria, completing his schooling at St Marc College, graduating as the top student in the country.
His family found refuge in another coastal African city following the geo-politics of the Suez crisis in 1956.
He landed in Cape Town at the age of 18 and joined the University of Cape Town as a medical student in 1957, where he remained for the next 67 years, graduating and serving as both a paediatrician and endocrinologist.
He was head of the Paediatric and Adolescent Endocrine and Diabetes Unit, Groote Schuur, and Red Cross War Memorial Children’s hospitals.
Alongside work and life partner Dr Areti Philotheou Bonnici, they cared for generations of people and families across Cape Town.
He chose to work in public hospitals throughout his career, while being renowned as one of the leading figures in diabetes treatment globally. His life’s vocation was dedicated to service to children, teenagers, adults and their families, particularly those with diabetes and endocrine conditions.
As one of his medical colleagues reflected, “at heart he has always been a true paediatrician with a special empathy and bond with young children”.
Bonnici was a champion of holistic care and patient empowerment, driving awareness and education, training thousands of medical students, registrars, nurses, health professionals and patient educators across Africa.
He was a people-centred advocate of health and a patient ally long before these terms were used to describe such humane and progressive approaches in medicine. His desire to seek connections in shared identities and passions not only brought him many friends around the world, but also allowed him to champion the cause of people with diabetes throughout Africa.
He was the President of the South African Diabetes Association, President of the Pan African Diabetes Study Group, and received a lifetime award from the International Society of Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes for his service to the field of diabetes education, among many other recognitions.
Bonnici also put Cape Town in the international spotlight, serving two terms as the vice-president of the International Diabetes Federation, bringing the biggest-ever conference to the Cape Town International Convention Centre with over 15 000 participants and visitors in 2006.
Many will remember him as a man comfortable and at home in many cultures, who believed in the richness of diversity.
He spoke six languages fluently and enjoyed interacting with every person he encountered. He loved the natural beauty of Cape Town, and represented South Africa playing basketball for the Proteas in the 1960s.
The teachings of St Francis of Assisi from his youth remained a constant reference for his world view and deep love of humanity throughout his life.
He approached his professional life the same way he led his personal life – in his own irrepressible spirit of idealism, humanity, kindness, intellect and love – whistling opera music all the while.
Bonnici will be deeply missed by his beloved wife and work partner of 55 years, Areti, children Gisele and François, and grandchildren Luc François, Leonardo and Felix.
A service will be held in his memory at Our Lady of Good Hope Catholic Church in Sea Point on Friday at 12.30pm.
Cape Times