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ONE of Fish Hoek's tall trees has fallen. Francois Finlay (68), establisher of landmark Francois' Restaurant in Fish Hoek, passed away in his Fish Hoek home on Friday after battling cancer.

Francois' Restaurant, on the corner of Beach and Recreation Roads, has been a part of Fish Hoek residents' lives since Francois conver?ted the restaurant from a Golden Egg franchise to his namesake eatery in 1983.

Many families have marked the various milestones of their life's journeys at the restaurant's tables, and the coffers of numerous organisations have been filled at fundraising events sponsored by Francois.

The restaurant is known far and wide as much for its ge?nerous portions and good prices, as for the very unique personality of its founder.

"Francois would often play funny tricks," recalls well-known Fish Hoek businessman Clive Wakeford. "He had a tomato sauce bottle that he would take to a table of unsuspecting guests and squeeze really hard over their chips, ignoring their protests that they did not want tomato sauce. But, instead of tomato sauce, out of the bottle would pop a long piece of string, and Francois would have a good laugh!"

"The secret of his success was his personality; he was such an outgoing and extroverted guy. He was known far and wide for his restaurant and for just being Francois."

Francois sold his restaurant in October last year to Fanie Kloppers, son of his good friends Dr Johan and Marietjie Kloppers, who knew him even before they moved from Johannesburg to Fish Hoek in 1979.

Kloppers bought the restaurant in partnership with Johann and Carlise Breedt, daughter of Dr Johan Kloppers.

At the time of the sale, in an article in People's Post, Francois said that he had recently been informed that he had terminal cancer, and had thus deci?ded to sell his restaurant "and give someone else the pleasure of running it".

"His favourite part of Fish Hoek was the restaurant," says Dina Finlay, Francois' wife. She says that Francois also loved gardening and walking on Noordhoek beach, where fewer people would know him, but "his restaurant was his home".

Francois entered the restaurant world in 1973 when he opened a Golden Egg franchise in Fish Hoek. When his ten-year franchise lease expired, he decided to end the franchise agreement and renamed the restaurant "Francois'".

He sold the restaurant in 1987, while continuing with his other businesses: one in Bellville, The Tavern in Diep Ri?ver, a fibreglass factory, and Ro?nald's Restaurant in Fish Hoek. In 1993 he bought Francois' Restaurant back.

"If I could say something about Francois, it would be that he is one of the old characters of Fish Hoek, almost like an institution," says Dr Johan Kloppers. "I see him as one of the tall trees that has fallen. People loved him. He didn't have hang-ups and he would talk straight."

In his farewell article to the community in October last year, Francois said, "I want to thank the community of Fish Hoek and surrounds for making it such a pleasure to serve them. Thank you for all the fun memories and late nights...".

A service will be held for Francois Finlay in the Dutch Reformed Church in Kommetjie Road, Fish Hoek, on Thursday at 11:00. Tea will follow at Francois' Restaurant.

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