However, within the walls of his home, he was something different, someone far more intimate and complex. To his family, he was a quiet figure of strength, a provider, and a man of deep faith and discipline. Though he was not known for outward displays of emotion, his love ran deep, and his actions always spoke louder than words. His daughter, Dr Ame Masuku, shared that to the family, two words best described him: loving and resilient. Despite his composed and often stoic demeanor, Dr Chimbombi had a warm heart and an unwavering sense of duty towards those he loved. Though he and his wife were blessed with only two children, a son and a daughter, one now late, he never treated his immediate children as the only ones under his care. Instead, their home was constantly filled with relatives, especially younger children, including his own youngest brother, who was raised like a son amongst them.
Masuku explained that her father never allowed them to grow up feeling like a small nuclear family. “Our home was always full,” she recalled. “He taught us that family includes everyone. He believed in perseverance and doing things well, no matter how hard the journey.” She emphasised how his teachings shaped their lives, including the idea that once one starts a race, they must finish it, a principle he lived by, be it in public and private spaces. Though not easily expressive, his values and legacy became more apparent over time. Masuku remembered him singing, "My father was a leader man," a phrase she did not understand in her younger years but now sees as prophetic, considering the many people who came to pay their respects. His impact reached far beyond the family, yet he never abandoned his role within it. His youngest brother, Tunee Chimbombi, echoed these sentiments. Taken in at the age of 10, he was never treated as a sibling, but as a son. “He raised me,” Chimbombo said. “Even when I succeeded academically, he would not show emotion. But we knew he was proud. That was his way.”
