I knew John for a few months in 1969. He was working as a teacher in a small Fijian village on the island if Viti Levu.
I was there to stay with my parents just before going to university.
My father Tim Hardy was in the special Branch police …He was working there in the run up to independence , writing a report on the security concerns that might face an independent Fiji.
We lived in Suva…the capital. At that time Fiji had a small population and it appeared to be paradise.
In the course of his work my parents came to know many people including the young people working for VSO and the Peace Corps. I’m not sure if John was in the VSO. I don’t think so. He was there, I think, independently and was following up on a family tale about an ancestor who had been somehow involved in the “ cessation” , (if that is the correct word , ) of Fiji to Queen Victoria and British rule.
Anyway my parents came to know John , and he became a family friend. We all liked him very very much and we saw a lot of him . He came to my parents house many times for meals. He was wonderful company , and if my parents were entertaining local people or visitors they would often invite John along as he was brilliant in social gatherings..being friendly , warm and always extremely funny. He was a fabulous mimic for example. This was a quality highly valued .
I remember on one occasion he somehow managed to obtain an invitation to the sacred island of Bau which was only visited with permission. I think he was invited there because of his ancestor , the one I mentioned earlier. He took me with him. We travelled there by public bus and I think we walked out to the island at low tide. What I mostly remember of this trip was what fun it was to be with him . He had a wonderful way with people..everyone seemed to like and trust him. He was absolutely the best company.
I went back to Britain to university and John went on from Fiji to work as an advisor to governments in various places in the Pacific and in the Middle East. My parents ,( who were much more his friends than I was)..kept in touch, but of course over the years these contacts became fewer and they gradually lost touch.
Recently I decided to try to trace him and so was very disappointed to learn that he had died.
I thought I would add these few memories …all that I have . Both my parents have also recently passed away. I wish I had thought about this while they were still alive as they would have had so much more to say.
But anyway…John was one of the most remarkable and endearing people I have met…someone unforgettable..I have never forgotten him . I would love to know what his last years were like . I hope he was surrounded by friends..and happy. I so regret not having gone to see him . I would be very happy to talk about John with anyone who knew him and I can be reached any time through my email address. janewilson639@hotmail.com
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