ROMINENT former Port Elizabeth academic Pat Krige, the mother of international movie actress Alice Krige, has died at the family home in Summerstrand. She was 85.

The retired clinical psychologist and former professor in the psychology department of the University of Port Elizabeth (now NMMU), who commanded much respect for her grace and intellect, died after suffering a heart attack on Thursday morning.

Her son, top Bay pulmonologist Dr Luke Krige, said yesterday his mother had also been battling bronchitis.

Luke said the family was dealing with his mother’s death “one day at a time”.

He said his father, Dr Louis “Lou” Krige, “was not taking this well”.

US-based Alice, whose big break came in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire and who played the Borg Queen in several Star Trek movies, arrived in the Bay yesterday afternoon but was not ready to speak to the media as she was comforting her father. Louis Krige, who turned 90 this year, is wheelchair-bound and recovering from a stroke.

Alice had regularly flown in to visit him and had been here for his 90th birthday, a celebration shared with close family and friends.

Alice’s other brother, Jake, who is the head of surgery at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, was also expected to arrive yesterday.

Luke said his mother would be missed by the family and her four grandchildren in particular.

“Ouma was everything to them, and they are very upset.”

By yesterday no funeral plans had been finalised.