Family's grief at loss of father
A PAEDIATRIC nurse killed in an accident on the A14 a week ago died without knowing he had just passed his degree in child care.
Father-of-three Hilgard Wadzanai Kwambana was driving home to Corby last Monday at 10pm after a shift at the Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield, Greater London, when his car collided with a lorry doing a U-turn on the stretch of road near Titchmarsh.
Two days after his death his family was told he had passed the degree he had been studying for alongside his full-time job, which meant he could have started a masters degree in child protection in September.
The 31-year-old's dream was to work with and help children who had been mistreated.
Paying tribute to her husband, his wife Nicky, 26, who he met while studying at Hertfordshire University in 2001, said: "He was such a good man and a great husband. He never raised his voice and was so humble and softly spoken.
"He had a thirst for knowledge and liked to read the dictionary and watch programmes on the National Geographic channel.
"We just cannot believe he has gone."
The second oldest of five, Hilgard had moved to England from the Zimbabwean capital in 1999.
He moved with his wife and children to the Oakley Vale area of Corby a year ago from London to join his brothers and sisters who had settled in the county.
The couple, who were married in 2002, worked shifts at the same hospital, a one-and-a-half hour commute.
They often worked opposite shift patterns.
His wife heard of his death when police officers knocked at her door last Monday evening.
She said: "My mother-in-law had queried why he was late, but he had said to me when I had spoken to him earlier that morning that he could be late so I did not think it was strange.
"Then the police came to our door and our world was devastated."
The family are unable to plan a funeral until his body is released by the coroner. According to Zimbabwean tradition family and friends have been at the home in Jay Road since his death.
His older brother Hammington Kwambana, who lives in Wellingborough said the family bore no emotion towards the lorry driver who has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and who appeared in court last week.
He said: "We have no anger. We just want to know why it happened."
Mrs Kwambana, who was due to start a new job at Kettering General Hospital today, said: "Being angry is not going to bring him back home through the door.
"It is just so hard and the our youngest son, Hilgard, keeps saying 'when is daddy coming home from work?'"
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Man dies following motorway smash on Northamptonshire border
- BREAKING NEWS: Police inundated with hundreds of complaints over snowball fights
- Huge cigarette haul by masked burglars in armed raids at Northampton stores
- BREAKING NEWS: Police name man killed in crash on motorway in Northamptonshire
- Student flats planned for Northampton town centre revealed
- BREAKING NEWS: Fishmarket art gallery offered new home
- Student flats planned for Northampton town centre revealed
- New manager of Northampton’s Grosvenor Centre says ‘This is the beginning of a new era’
- BREAKING NEWS: Police inundated with hundreds of complaints over snowball fights
- Neighbours raise concern about bid to build new house three inches from their home
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -6 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -5 C to -0 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South east
