Remembering John Thompson
Written by his friend and fellow Bazley resident Stephen Bollaert
A Commitment to Community
John and I go back almost 20 years when we both retired to Bazley. From the get-go John was involved – no more than that – he was a committed member of our community, and his sudden death stunned us all.
Character and Integrity
In paying tribute to a close friend or loved one there is the temptation to overstate the good bits and fail to mention any uncomfortable truths. I am grateful I know of no uncomfortable truths about John and have no need to exaggerate.
John, we know, was a doer and when he had to speak, he spoke concisely and wisely. I think that attribute attracted people to him – he was the sort of person you want on your team – the sort of person one is drawn to. I truly enjoyed Johns company – we had no need to talk very much – just be.
John was quietly dependable. But he was much more than that, so I went in search of how best to describe him.
Service and Leadership
I started with that fount of all information – Google
Born in 1945, the year sociologists mark as the beginning of the Baby Boomer Generation, one would expect John to have many of the characteristics attributed to that generation. And indeed, he did – He was Independent / Optimistic / Hard working / a man of impeccable Ethics, and he valued relationships with his family and friends.
Like many Baby Boomers John was self-assured / resourceful / goal orientated and competitive. That attribute of Baby Boomers stumped me for a while – much of my interaction with John revolved around noncompetitive cycling – it took me a while to remember that on our regular rides out of Bazley John would ride on ahead then turn back to re-join the laggers – I had attributed that to his sense of Team Spirit – now I wonder!
But, perhaps more than any of the attributes of the Baby Boomer Generation, John exemplified the most positive attribute of the generation of our fathers – the Silent Generation. John had a well-developed sense of Civic and Societal duty. John was a contributor – not a taker. I remember him once remarking that he could not go through life just using up oxygen.
John gave of himself in a multitude of activities and when others threw in the towel John took up the slack.
We in Bazley remember him particularly as a driving force in the Bazley Neighbourhood Watch which later grew into the Bazley Residents Association – much of that time as chairman. All this in between his love of cycling and caravaning trips of discovery.
In the early years John would be the first to go out on night patrol and the first person you called in an emergency.
He was the one who fielded complaints about roads, water and electricity, illegal camping on the beach and littering. John did not wait to be asked – If he saw a need he responded.
For years John managed the permit system down to Ndezingane, printed the permits, helped replace locks and keys and cleaned up the mess left by others then bore the brunt of complaints by folk who did not understand why road access was limited to permit holders.
Memories Shared
The memory I have of John is of a man much loved and admired by the community – a man of faith, perseverance, humility, patience and love of others.
My very personal memories of John include sharing many meals together with good (and sometimes not so good wine) and good conversation. We worked together in BNW / BRA and prepared many an egg and bacon breakfast roll at the Pennington Men’s Breakfast. A highlight was when we cycled together from Holland to Switzerland sharing a tent hardly big enough for one – lying half in and half out hoping it would not rain.
Legacy of Respect and Trust
Through many meaningful experiences John earned my huge respect and trust, and he displayed quite exceptional patience.
Respect for his wisdom and ability to encourage where appropriate and slow to make any negative comment about anyone. In fact, I cannot recall him ever making a negative comment except once when I rode far too fast down a hill in France in the pouring rain! (No offence – point taken!)
Respect for his commitment to serving others with no thought of personal gain. Respect for simply being available – and with a smile. Respect for his tenacity and for the respect he showed others.
John secured a special place in my life. I came to trust him and his opinion and could share my innermost thoughts with him.
I will miss him.
Stephen Bollaert
