John Laddier de Villiers (Ladd) was born on 30 December 1940 in Pretoria. A free spirited, deep-thinking maverick, he was a man with infinite love for life, people and the natural world.
He graduated from Pretoria Boys’ High in 1960 and attended Texas Christian University, also earning qualifications from Damelin and the University of Pretoria. He married Wenda in 1965, and they had two daughters, Jacqui and Luci. After the marriage ended, Ladd lived in Pretoria, Hout Bay and finally in Durban where he met his last love – Jean – whom he married in 2024.
Aside from a successful career in business, marketing and finance, Ladd also had a commercial pilot‘s licence and a passion for motorcycles. He was a talented artist (ink and watercolour being his preferred media) and a skilled pianist (Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley being his preferred covers!) In his enduring quest for knowledge Ladd became a scientist and creator, tinkering with ideas and acquiring several patents for his inventions.
On 6 July 2025 Ladd died in his sleep aged 84 in Durban, after a life well and truly lived – daughter, Jacqui Hadingham