Renowned Pretoria News lensman dies
THE Pretoria News family learnt with sadness of the death of former staff member Etienne Creux.
Creux worked at the Pretoria News as a news photographer from June 1996 until his retirement in March 2014. Prior to that, he had worked as a photolithographer and, when the printing department closed, in the advertising department as a photographer.
“Etienne was highly regarded and appreciated by everyone he came into contact with,” said editor Val Boje, who worked alongside Creux for 18 years. “He was a consummate professional and cared deeply about the city, the Pretoria News, his colleagues and his family.
“He was kind and gentle, and went out of his way to be helpful, especially to new members of staff. He was well known in Pretoria, and people who invited us to events would often ask if we could please send Etienne.”
He received an award from former Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa on behalf of the city when he retired. Ramokgopa said Creux had been an indispensable part of the city and joked: “If possible, we’d have a statue of you.”
No assignment was too big or too small for Creux, and he loved engaging with people. He was always open to learning something new and was curious about life. His photographs captured the beauty of art and nature.
While most knew him for his photographs, Creux was passionate about South African music and attended many festivals such as Oppikoppi, where he described himself as “the oldest rocker”. His love of motorbikes was also legendary and it was a sad day when his doctor advised him not to ride after an accident.
He had a wealth of experience that he was always ready to share and gathered a clutch of young journalists around him. To them, he was mentor, counsellor and friend. But he was also always learning, such as moving from film to digital photography.
Creux was a family man and loved the three women in his life, wife Anne and daughters Nicky and Michelle. On retirement, he and Anne began a new adventure at Paul Roux in the Free State.
Former colleague and family friend Dianne Low and her husband, who also retired to Paul Roux, said Etienne was well known in the town. The two couples enjoyed playing bowls together.
Creux was especially proud of his daughters’ achievements; Nicky is a scientist living in California while Michelle, who spent many hours by her dad’s side at Pretoria News, is regional production manager for Independent Media in Cape Town.
“My sister Nicky and I are unashamedly daddy’s girls, and with a father like ours it’s no surprise,” said Michelle. “He supported Nicky when she decided to study science and never missed one of her graduations on her way to her PhD. He helped me make the newsroom my home and made sure I settled into new jobs.”