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Dr. Mario Theron, 72
Retired family practitioner murdered in South Africa
BANNER STAFF
Dr. Mario Theron, 72, a nephew of Mrs. Mary Avellar of Provincetown, was fatally shot and killed August 5, at his farm near Heilbron, Republic of South Africa.
South African newspapers reported Dr. Theron's death was one of 11 to have occurred on farms in isolated areas since July 29.
Dr. Theron, who attended the Provincetown school system briefly during World War II, was with his wife Leonie outside their home when intruders, armed with Mrs. Theron's revolver, forced them back into the house. They shot and killed Dr. Theron, but not before he activated an emergency alarm system. Before fleeing, the intruders then opened fire on Mrs. Theron, miraculously missing her.
Dr. Francois Theron, Dr. Theron's son, said because of the elaborate alarm systems on isolated farms like his parents' and due to quick action by neighbors and police, his father's assailants were apprehended within one-half hour. The intruders later confessed they had the farm under observance all morning.
The son of the late Dr. Johannes and Florence (Avellar) Theron, Dr. Theron was a graduate of Pretoria University where he qualified to practice medicine in 1953. Except for the last 15 years of his practice, when he worked as a platinum mine medical officer in Rustenberg, Dr. Theron had been a family practitioner. He retired in 1990 to his wife's farm where he was killed.
In addition to his wife, son and aunt, Dr. Theron is survived by his other sons, Carl and Jacques of Pretoria; three grandchildren, also of Pretoria; several nieces and nephews; his aunts, Izabel Avellar Souza of Provincetown and Louisville, Kentucky and Isabelle Avellar of Port Orange, Florida; his cousins Mary-Jo Avellar, Susan Avellar, Bruce Moore and Mario Janard of Provincetown; and Albert Avellar, Jr. of Eastham and Joseph Avellar of Chatham. His brother Jacobus Justin Theron pre-deceased him.
In accordance with his wishes, Dr. Theron was cremated.
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Geraldine 'Honey' Kelly, 50
Michael C. Leary, 37
Albert Phillip Rego, 81
Louis Sacks, 83
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Aug 17th, 2000