THE Redlands community will farewell one of its most respected pioneers this week with the funeral of philanthropist and former Redland Shire councillor Dan Holzapfel expected to draw a standing-room-only crowd.
The service will be held at Mt Cotton Lutheran Church at 10am on Wednesday, July 1, with multiple dignitaries expected to attend, including Rotary Foundation chairman Mark Anderson, who will travel from Sydney.
Mr Holzapfel died of natural causes on June 20 at the age of 103.
He leaves behind a remarkable legacy of generosity, with estate donations to nine charities still to come.
Through the Rotary Foundation, Mr Holzapfel became the organisation’s largest national donor toward the global fight against polio, helping fund vaccination programs that ultimately contributed to the disease’s worldwide eradication.
His cousin, Albert Benfer, said Mr Holzapfel lived a simple life, dedicating much of his hard-earned wealth to helping others.
“His was a huge legacy and he travelled overseas to administer some of the polio vaccines and to see what his money was doing,” Mr Benfer said.
“He was able to witness the good that he did.”
Mr Benfer described Mr Holzapfel as a “modest gentleman” whose work ethic was second to none.
“He didn’t have a bad streak in his body,” he said.
“He was one of the hardest working men you’d ever meet.
“He bought his first tractor, a little grey Fergie, in the early 1950’s.
“Before that it was horse and plough.”
Born to Lydia Benfer and Charles Holzapfel, Mr Holzapfel came from one of Mount Cotton’s pioneering farming families.
His grandfather emigrated from Germany’s north Rhine region in 1871, with the family establishing citrus orchards across 30 hectares at West Mount Cotton before later growing tomatoes.
Mr Benfer said the area’s steep terrain and gravelly soil produced premium tomatoes that were sent to markets in Brisbane and Sydney.
“It was nothing for Dan to harvest, load up for Sydney and be there for opening time at the Tuesday morning markets opening time,” he said.
“Then he’d be home on Wednesday for another day of hard work.”
As a child, Mr Holzapfel attended Mt Cotton School alongside just eight other students.
“He walked the 3km to school,” Mr Benfer said.
“There was no track and very hilly so he couldn’t ride a bike.
“It was either walk or ride a horse.”
Later, Mr Holzapfel relocated his farming operation to a 28-hectare property at Capalaba, on land that is now part of the suburb’s industrial precinct.
His home once stood where the Mazda dealership now operates on Redland Bay Road.
There he grew potatoes and watermelons before eventually transitioning into turf production.
In his later years, Mr Holzapfel lived at Renaissance, Victoria Point, with his sister Una, who predeceased him five years ago.
Beyond farming, Mr Holzapfel devoted himself to public service and the community.
He served three terms as a councillor on the former Redland Shire Council between 1964 and 1973 and was actively involved with the Committee for Direction of Fruit Marketing, the Chamber of Commerce, the Progress Association and Rotary.
He also remained a committed supporter of the Redlands Coast Museum after becoming a member in 2008.
Mr Benfer said he hoped the museum would preserve some of Mr Holzapfel’s memorabilia as a tribute to his life.
“We need more people like him,” he said.
“He was a man whose frugal living gave him the capacity to give an immense amount of money to charity.
“That lifestyle is disappearing to some extent.”
