Eugenie

Eugene May was born in Boksburg, Transvaal on April 22nd 1949 into the Gericke family. Her father was a carpenter in the gold mines. There were 4 children in the family, the youngest of whom was Eugenie. At 8years old, Eugenie’s mom died and within 2years, evil stepmother arrived with 4 children of her own. The Cinderella experience made Eugenie want to leave the house as soon as school finished which she did at the age of 18.

She started her grown-up life alone at the Odyssey flats in Hillbrow, where her Big Sister Nellie helped her move to get out of Boksburg.

Hillbrow was very different in those days – it was hyper cosmopolitan with night-clubs, bookshops, strange music of all genres blaring and 24hour cafes that brought all kinds of people and their cultures from everywhere. A new world that was very different compared with her hometown.

Eugene married for a few months. It didn’t work out but she got her gift – an English surname – Hardy. Suddenly the world of advertising opened the doors for her. She started with a small agency and from there others and finally to Greys Philips Mundel and Blake as Creative Director and TBWA Hunt Lascaris.

She won the Louries Award Grand Prix in 1981 and afterwards spent a few years living alone on Linksfield Ridge when she met Steve. In 1994 she dropped consumer copy writing and founded Storytelling.co.za to focus on stories used in culture, change, values, lifeskills and being human.

Eugenie wrote a number of books, stories, scripts, videos, adverts, graphic design, campaigns, song lyrics, Life-skill text books for children and plays. She was also an avid reader, crossword solver, Mom of 3, friend, cook, confidante, wife, astrologer, deep converationalism and all around creative.

She leaves behind her beloved friends and children Stephen, Tristan, Shari-Claire and Steve-dad.

Here you can see some ads. from Eugenie’s showreel as they were in the 70s and 90s made for TV and cinema (bioscope).

Eugene May Banhegyi 22nd April 1949 – 22nd March 2024

I Am – By Eugenie Banhegyi

I Am Tired
I Am Alive
I Am Loving
I Am Memory
I Am Grasping for connection
I Am Imagining a fantastic new world
I Am scared of being alone
I Am Finished
I Am Beginning
I Am The pain of humanity
I Am Sad when people suffer
I Am Judgement
I Am Revenge

Eunoia – all I ask

All I ask is silence
So I can hear my own thoughts think themselves
Sit there
Be quiet
Write quietly away at your mousey thoughts
Hush
So I can listen to my eunoia
And quietly write to others who would understand
Be quiet
Read a book
Knit a stitch
Just sit and shut yourself away
You are not interesting
You are not worthy of words
You cannot speak
Your voice is gone
Stop listening to other words that blemish my thoughts
Hush
Don’t cry
Soon you will be dead to me.

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