By Levy Masiteng
The family of Lisa Koppel, wife of South African singer and businessman Danny K, has asked for privacy as it revealed for the first time that she had spent nearly three years battling colorectal cancer.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Koppel and Gundelfinger families said Lisa, who died at the age of 41, had deliberately kept her diagnosis out of the public eye because she did not want attention or sympathy and wanted to protect her children.
“Lisa chose to keep her illness private. She never wanted pity, attention, or sympathy.”
The family said she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in November 2023 and underwent treatment locally and abroad.
She fought the disease with “extraordinary strength and determination”, the family said.
“Tragically, despite everything, she could not be saved.”
Lisa leaves behind her husband, Danny K, whose full name is Danny Koppel, and their three children.
The families said they had been left “shattered” by her death and asked for prayers, compassion, and privacy while they mourn.
“Even through the hardest moments, she remained gentle, humble, and remarkably brave, inspiring everyone who walked this journey beside her,” the statement reads.
The family also thanked the doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who treated Lisa during her illness.
Lisa was an attorney and had previously practised as an advocate for four years before joining her father Billy Gundelfinger’s Melrose Arch law practice as an attorney. The firm specialised in criminal and matrimonial law.
She was also involved in business and was associated with children’s footwear brand Running Bear Moccasins.
Lisa married Danny K in April 2012.
While she chose not to speak publicly about her illness, her family said it would now take forward a cause that had become important to her by raising awareness about colorectal cancer.
“Her family will now carry that purpose forward in her name.”
The family highlighted the increasing incidence of colorectal cancer among younger people and encouraged people to pay attention to persistent symptoms.
“Colorectal cancer screening was traditionally recommended from age 50, but the disease is increasingly affecting younger people. Today, international guidelines recommend routine screening from age 45 for people at average risk,” the family said.
Those with symptoms or an increased risk may require investigation earlier.
The family said Lisa should ultimately be remembered for her life rather than her illness.
“Lisa’s illness will never define her. She will be remembered for the way she lived and loved: with kindness, humility, courage, and an unwavering devotion to the people who meant everything to her.”
