GEORGE NEWS - When speaking about Don Tarloff you often hear the words heart of gold, unique, distinctive, caring, compassionate and colourful. To everyone who knew him, he was all those things.
Tarloff who was fighting cancer, passed away at his home in Glen Barrie on Wednesday 16 August in the presence of his family. He gave his final breath exactly one year after he was diagnosed.
He will not only be sorely missed by his loved ones, but leaves a giant hole in the George community.
Many will remember him as The Ice Cream Man with his soft serve vans parked at every beach across the Garden Route and big festivals country wide. Very few people know that Tarloff actually started his business journey in George by opening a Wimpy in Meade Street in the early 80's.
A couple of years after opening, Tarloff revamped the restaurant and the George Herald was there to share in the excitement.
A newspaper clipping from when Tarloff revamped his Wimpy branch.
In the 1990s and early 2000s Don was one of the pillars of the George Hebrew Congregation, organising functions in the old Shul Hall in Cradock Street.
"If you needed something in those days all you said was 'Don please' and minutes later he would be unloading tables and chairs, umbrellas, braais, wood and plastic cutlery," said close friend Myron Rabinowitz.
Don Tarloff and his border collie Molly were inseparable.
Don and his trusted dog, Molly, was a common sight in George but also at the arts festivals in Bloemfontein and Grahamstown to name a few places. Molly never, ever left his side.
"Don was known as The Ice Cream Man for many years. You didn't even need to know his real name. He started with Wimpy in Meade Street across from where Woolworths is now and then started the soft serve business in Victoria Bay. After that he was called Don Vic-bay. I think there were very few people who didn't know Don and his border collie Molly," his wife Jeanette said smiling in remembrance.
Tarloff was a manager for Woolworths in East London, Johannesburg and Bloemfontein before he decided to relocate to George and decided to open a Wimpy with his first wife Beverleigh. He eventually sold the Wimpy and started his career in soft serve.
Tarloff's friend for more than 16 years, Conrad Hanekom, described his friend as a mentor, father figure, guiding light and a source of unwavering support.
"The impact he had on our lives is immeasurable and his absence will be deeply felt. He was always on the road, chasing dreams and conquering new horisons. His adventurous spirit inspired us all to step out of our comfort zones and embrace the unknown. He never failed to be there for us when we needed him. His selflessness and genuine care for others were qualities we admired and aspired to possess. The void left by his absence will be difficult to fill, but we will carry his spirit with us always," said Hanekom.
He leaves behind Jeanette, his sons Jody and Darren, his daughters Deborah Tarloff and Tamryn Olivier granddaughters Mishka Olivier and Charlotte Putter, his beloved Molly and his management and staff.
A memorial service for Tarloff will be held tomorrow, Friday 25 August at 12:00 in the Round Table hall across the George showgrounds. Anyone who would like to attend is asked to contact Jeanette on 072 139 7783.
Photos from an album from the Bloemfontein Show in 1994.
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