I was born in Cape Town, South Africa. My mother's name was Margaret, and she was British, having been raised in Birmingham. (She was a Brummie) My family emigrated to South Africa in 1947. When they arrived, they settled in Paarl. My Dad's name was John. He was a descendant of the French Huguenots, and until the end of his life, he lived in Groot Drakenstein, just outside Franshoek (The French Corner). He worked his whole life on Excelsior, one of the Rhodes Fruit Farms. I have some beautiful memories of my childhood and my later years as a teen on that farm. My maiden name was De Villiers. Anybody who knows Paarl, knows that every second person in that town is blessed with the De Villiers surname. My Dad retired from Excelsior to Paarl and died in 1999. My step-mother, Hannah, was one of the most influential women in my life. She died of Leukaemia in 2006. I have still not recovered from her loss. She was a jewel amongst women.
My Dad was the only person who called me Liza Hannah.