The casket of Jeroen Jongejans is carried from his funeral service at Dive! Tutukaka by family and friends after an emotional service that was filled with laughter. Photo / Michael Cunningham
The casket of Jeroen Jongejans is carried from his funeral service at Dive! Tutukaka by family and friends after an emotional service that was filled with laughter. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Soulmate, loving dad, innovator, cheeky visionary, champion for Northland and tourism, man of the sea and all-round legend - the tributes flowed thick and fast for local identity Jeroen Jongejans at his funeral.
Jeroen Siebe Jongejans, owner and founder of Dive! Tutukaka, passed away suddenly while paddleboarding in the Tutukākā Harbour. The evening was beautiful on February 21 and the 63-year-old Tutukākā local was in his happy place.
On Wednesday afternoon, Dive! Tutukaka was packed with funeral-goers wanting to pay their respects to the man hailed as a tourism legend and staunch defender of Northland and its oceans.
The loving dad to Tristan, Essie and Bex and Opa to Adelyn made a big impression on everybody he met - including his partner Kate Malcolm, who described him as her soulmate.
She told the tale of how one time he had taken on the then Minister of Immigration in a fight to stay in the country.
Kate Malcolm, centre, listens to the many eulogies to her 'visionary' partner Jeroen Jongejans at his funeral in Tutukaka yesterday. Photo / Michael Cunningham
And the reason why he was in New Zealand and needed to stay was explained by his brother Pieter in a recording sent from Holland.
Pieter said his younger brother had a strong anti-war stance and had earlier poured paint on a Dutch fighter jet - an image Pieter, then in the navy, saw while he was at sea.
As a conscientious objecter he then refused to be conscripted into the army.
''He had to leave because he had the military police on his tail.''
He said Holland's loss was New Zealand's gain.
It was a theme that many talked to - how much of an influence he has had in his adoptive country and the Tutukākā community he loved so much.
From helping to start the Ngunguru waka ama club to creating jobs for so many - either through his eco dive companies or through sinking the HMNZS Tui and frigate HMNZS Waikato off the Tutukākā coast. He was also one of the main forces behind getting the Poor Knights declared a marine reserve. And he loved buying boats.
Jongejans' passions included his family, the sea, helping people out, networking and talking. And everybody had a tale to tell of having him bend their ear.
Tim Eves give his thoughts on his friend and 'great man' Jeroen Jongejans at his funeral yesterday. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Peter Vink, who Jongejans had roped in to the team to help buy and sink the Tui, recalled going to Devonport where the ship was tied up.
He said Jongejans offered the commodore $1 for the ship and to his amazement he said yes. The ship was bought, taken to Tutukākā and sunk as a diving attraction for when it was too rough to take people to the Poor Knights. It was a huge effort.
''After that everybody (in the team) was really exhausted. And the next morning he said 'let's do it again...''
That's when the plan was hatched to also buy the HMNZS Waikato to sink off the coast as well.
Vink said the Waikato was taken to Ōpua Wharf, where it was being stripped ahead of the sinking, but it started sinking as there was no power to close the gate valve to an inlet.
''So Jeroen dived into the muddy water with a spare dive tank. He got a big rubber buoy that he deflated then he jammed it in the hole. He blew it up again and that kept the frigate afloat for days until we could get it down to sink. So that frigate got towed to Tutukākā with a big balloon up its bum.''
The family's photo of Jeroen Jongejans at his funeral had this message: Kia kaha, kia mārū, kia atawhai Be strong, be calm, be kind
That illustrated his spirit and can-do attitude that would see him seek solutions.
Jongejan's son Tristan said his father bought the Tui with one of two silver US dollars that he had had for years.
Tristan said the second silver dollar was in his father's pocket now.
He said he fully expected Jongejans to use the silver dollar to pay his passage on the ferry across the River Styx, where a dead person must pay a fee to the ferryman, Charon.
