John’s job was very important to him. You could say he had an old-fashioned work ethic, and it’s tempting to ascribe that, and his robust, opinionated take on things, to his Dalmatian heritage. He was proud of this heritage, and certainly exhibited the classic ‘Dallie’ qualities of hard work, endurance and a capacity to enjoy life’s elemental pleasures: family (to which he was devoted), the outdoors (he was happiest in the surf), and convivial company (New Zealand pinot noir can have had few stauncher champions).

He was self-reliant, too; he was a long-time sailor, and several times over the past half dozen years, he and his wife Debbie flew off to Croatia, chartered a yacht and headed out into the Adriatic. (Although his most recent, and very scary-sounding encounter with the notorious Bura wind did persuade him that kayaking at Waipu might be a more enjoyable maritime pursuit.) 

John grew up around architecture. His father, Kenneth, was a very good Modernist architect who practised in Auckland in the 1950s and 1960s. John attended Marcellin College in Royal Oak and then studied accountancy. He worked for many years in advertising. The agency in which he was a partner specialized in the construction sector, and John’s familiarity with industry players was of great benefit in his later position in the NZIA. John would recall, with a certain wistfulness, his time in advertising – these were the halcyon days of the 1980s and 1990s, when a long lunch at Prego might blend seamlessly into a long dinner at Prego.

John was assiduous in his decade-long performance of the role of NZIA professional services manager. He took his job very seriously: he valued architecture and architects, and he enjoyed getting out and meeting the Institute’s members. He particularly enjoyed the touring seminar series, which he supervised for many years.

He put a lot of thought into the content of seminars and the composition of speaker panels – and the selection of venues for post-seminar hospitality. (John was always conscious that the NZIA relies considerably on the collegial contribution by members, and allied professions and sector experts, of their valuable time.) Latterly, the NZIA’s webinar series has proved to be a successful, if not quite as sociable, means of member education.

Over the years, John became an invaluable repository of institutional knowledge. Numerous NZIA members have benefitted from John’s advice about essential practice matters, such as contracts, insurance and liability. John necessarily became thoroughly familiar with the complex contractual machinations of the Ministry of Education, and other government departments and agencies.

He maintained good relations with key industry partners and was very successful at twisting the arms of sponsors. And, on most days, he fielded calls from clients and builders with a bone to pick. These conversations – or John’s end of them – were welcome diversions in the confines of a small, open-plan office. We’d wait for John to punctuate a lengthy indictment with an inquiry about the institutional affiliation or professional status of an alleged miscreant, and then, tribally, enjoy the rejoinder that would usually (but not always, alas), follow. Keeping any triumphalism from his voice, John would suggest, respectfully, that the complaint might be better aimed in another, more appropriate, direction.                       

John had some health challenges over the past few years but responded with typically stoic determination. He was a large presence in the NZIA office, and his colleagues feel his loss deeply. John had a great relationship with Debbie, and his two sons; recently, he became a proud grandfather.

Recently, also, he and Debbie undertook their own building project – a small holiday home at Waipu, where, in his younger days, he was a stalwart of the local surf lifesaving club. (Aware of the pitfalls that threaten any construction job, John navigated his and Debbie’s building project with impressive efficiency.) John took a lot of enjoyment from his life; we are all sorry he couldn’t enjoy its next stage.