The convenors of the 1957 Matrics 60th Year On Reunion only learned recently of Jacques death in Australia on Easter Sunday 2014, from his ex- brother-in-law, Ray Dunn. Both were members of the Class of 1957 and remained life-long friends and had family connections with Jacques’s wife, Lyn being Ray’s sister.
Jacques developed early marketing and business experience to earn his pocket money whilst still at school, by selling flowers from his mother’s farm at Derdepoort and products from his own woodworking hobby. These skills would stand him in good stead throughout his life.
Jacques completed his BSC Agric at Tuks, working for Union Carbide in their agricultural division in the citrus field, specialising in micro- irrigation systems, which he studied in Israel and Morroco. In 1972 he moved to Australia, but after only a year there, for personal reasons, returned with his family to SA. His woodworking and entrepreneurial skill saw him start his own custom made furniture manufacturing company, which expanded into a successful shop outfitting business in the Johannesburg area. He imported some state of the art equipment for post forming laminate and his prestige contract for the new Stock Exchange building was a ground breaking development at that time. He sold his company to Murray and Roberts in the early 1980’s, working for them as MD for a year to hand over the business.
In 1983 he returned with his family to Australia, eventually settling in Brisbane, where he joined the agricultural division of ICI, working for them until 2000. He then moved to Moree, NSW, again starting his own successful business ‘Frames and Prints’, which he moved to Tamworth in 2005. He finally retired in 2012 to Yarrowitch, near Walcha, NSW and enjoyed his retirement there with his woodworking hobby and his dog Jessie until his death in April 2014
Thanks to Ray Dunn, Old Boy ex Solomon House and Jacques eldest daughter Liesl in Bendigo, Victoria for this information.