HOLLYWOOD actress Alice Krige burst into tears as she spoke about the death of her mother, Pat Krige, 85, who died in her sleep at the family home in Summerstrand last week.

Krige, who arrived in Port Elizabeth on Friday after she heard of her mother’s heart attack on Thursday morning, said the family was devastated by the loss of her mother, a retired clinical psychologist and former professor in the psychology department of the University of Port Elizabeth (now Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University).

“We’re all still reeling with shock and grief. My father (Dr Louis Krige) is coping with the mundane things because he’s a very strong person, but when we ask him how he’s feeling he disappears into his own space and becomes very withdrawn.

“I really think it’s too soon for anyone to talk to my father about my mother just yet because he’s so stricken with grief.

“Both my brothers are very strong and they have been handling all the funeral arrangements,” said Krige.

She said she had been in constant contact with her mother and had spoken to her the night before she died.

“She sounded very buoyant, despite the fact that she had undergone very tiring tests on Monday. She was feeling a bit downcast earlier in the week because the tests showed she had mild emphysema and she knew there was no cure.

“But by Wednesday she was buoyant and joyful; I don’t think she consciously knew she was going to die the next morning.”

Krige said her mother told the care-giver who was looking after the elderly couple that she wanted to sleep on until 8.30am and asked if she could bring their breakfast a little later.

“Thandi took the breakfast in at 8.30am and she thought something didn’t look well at all. She called our domestic worker and my dad, who felt her pulses and acknowledged she was gone.

“We are immensely grateful for my mom’s great life. She’s truly helped many people during the course of her life. I must be grateful that she died such a peaceful death.”

Krige, who is based in the US, is well-known for her role in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire and her character in several Star Trek movies. She said she would be staying on in Nelson Mandela Bay for as long as possible and planned to move back to South Africa in November.

“My husband and I will be moving to Cape Town in November to start our foundation.

“At least in this way we will be closer to my father and I will finally be able to be back home after 30 years.”

The funeral will be held on Thursday afternoon at St Saviour’s Church in Walmer.