Excerpts of obituary provided by Piers Steenekamp (Class of 1991):
“Jaun and I arrived in Pretoria at roughly the same time, about a quarter of the way through our standard nine year in 1991. He arrived from Port Elizabeth; and I came from East London. A few days before school started we were both in the same clothing shop buying our school uniforms. We did notice each other, but didn’t talk to each other at the time.
The first day of school started, I remember we were both sitting outside the deputy headmaster’s office, waiting to be assigned to a class. We started talking and recalled how we had seen each other in the shop a few days earlier. When we were called into the deputy headmasters office, he asked where we were from and noted that since we were both new, and from the Eastern Cape, he would place us in the same class.
At school, Jaun was probably the coolest and most suave person I had ever known. Supremely gifted on the sports field, a superb rugby player, despite pulling his shorts up very high, something we used to tease him about occasionally over the years. I know Jaun was very proud of the fact that he played for the Pretoria Boys High first team, and I remember being struck by his brilliance in many a game for the school.
A few years after finishing school, tragedy struck, Jaun suffered a terrible motor vehicle accident, which left him paralysed from below his chest. I remember visiting Jaun in hospital a few weeks after the accident, and seeing the determination in his eyes to face his new challenges, something he never lost over the years, despite how he must have felt at times.
Regarding his physical wellbeing, post his accident, Juan was never one to moan, he would just get on with what he had to do. He would nonchalantly tell us about an upcoming operation he had to have, or the fact that he was experiencing pain in his shoulders or his wrists. That was something that I always admired about Juan, his ability to consider his circumstances, assess his options and move forward, just like he did all those years ago on the rugby field.
I cannot tell you the shock we felt on the 01st of April as the news of his passing was shared with us. I can honestly say that the numbness and shock has still not left us as a group. I know, that if Jaun were able to talk to us today, in true Jaun style, he would tell us to live our lives like he did, with excellence, with determination and positivity no matter the road ahead.
Rest in peace Brother, you have been taken too soon, but I know we will meet again, and then we will celebrate just like old times. We love you Brother” – Piers Steenekamp.