Barry Steenkamp remembered a year later

It’s been over a decade since the brutal murder of Reeva Steenkamp at the hands of her boyfriend, Oscar Pistorius. It has also been a year since her father, Barry Steenkamp, reportedly died of a “broken heart”.

The Port Elizabeth man’s passing came just months before Pistorius was released on parole earlier this year.

REEVA STEENKAMP ORG REMEMBERS BARRY

In an Instagram post, the Reeva Rebecca Steenkamp charity remembered the late Barry Steenkamp, who died in his sleep last year.

An image of the 80-year-old smiling man reads: “It’s been 365 days without you, dear beloved Barry Steenkamp. We miss your voice, your love, your laughter. We miss your kindness, your guidance, and your wisdom.”

According to reports, Barry had been in particularly poor health after Reeva was shot and killed by Oscar Pistorius on Valentine’s Day in 2013.

During Pistorius’s murder trial (then on charges of culpable homicide), Barry suffered two strokes, reported TimesLive.

In the M-Net documentary My Name Is Reeva, June Steenkamp revealed that Barry had not been the same since their daughter’s passing. She also claimed that their marriage took strain following the tragic event.

Following his passing, many South Africans think Barry could have possibly died of a broken heart.

REUNITED WITH HIS BABY GIRL

Before his death, Barry and his wife, June Steenkamp, spoke to The Mirror about dealing with grief a decade after Reeva’s death.

The couple also spoke about their desire to see the daughter’s killer, Oscar Pistorius – stay behind bars.

But the grief was too much for an emotional Barry, who previously suffered two strokes due to stress. He said: “We want to be with Reeva and join her wherever she is. Our hearts are broken.”

Just a few months earlier, Barry spoke about meeting Pistorius last year as part of the Department of Correctional Service’s Victim Offender Dialogue.

The programme forms part of the rehabilitation of offenders who are being considered for parole. It seeks to offer closure for the victim’s family and a means for the offender to seek forgiveness.

Speaking in the My Name Is Reeva documentary last year, Barry claimed that he did not get the answers he was looking for.

He said, “You arrive there thinking you’re going to say this and that, but it doesn’t work out that way. It’s just a sad, sad thing.

“I asked him certain questions…and I expected different answers. He gave me his truth, but I didn’t get my truth”.

DO YOU BELIEVE REEVA STEENKAMP AND HER DAD ARE REUNITED IN THE AFTERLIFE?

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