The late Sir John Graham. Photo / Richard Robinson
"Sir John's passion for quality education saw decades of his life committed to the education sector. His role as the 9th headmaster of Auckland Grammar School from January 1973 to May 1993, was defining. "We are grateful for Sir John's connection and continued contributions to Auckland Grammar School until the day of his passing."
"The thoughts of NZC are with the family of former All Blacks captain and Black Caps manager Sir John Graham."
"DJ was a great all-round New Zealander. From his exploits on the rugby field to those in the classroom he was simply exceptional. His commitment to all aspects of the game and New Zealand society is legendary. DJ was a person I feel extremely privileged to have met. He was a leader in every endeavour he turned to, and his long list of honours and achievements are testaments to his exceptional character."
"RIP Sir John Graham - a great NZer who made a huge difference for so many young people. A major influence in my formative years, sadly gone."
"Our thoughts are with the family of Sir John Graham who has passed away. A good man who influenced so many lives."
"I don't know of any other single individual who has had such an influence in education in particular. Twenty-eight young men who taught under him became principals or headmasters. On top of that, his influence in the areas of rugby union and cricket are almost beyond parallel."
"I was privileged to be part of the Auckland rugby team in the early and mid-90s and we were coached by Sir Graham Henry of course, and Sir DJ was our manager. They were just wonderful father figures for us, particularly DJ being the patriarch of the team and the senior statesman. He was just a wonderful presence in that squad. We were very successful and I do give credit to Sir DJ, just his mana that he had about him but also his rugby nous."
"He gave me the most important phone call of my life and said there was a job going at Auckland Grammar. I think that was in the middle of 1973 and I ended up teaching there for nine years. He took the First XV from 1975-80 and you can imagine having the school's headmaster and former All Blacks captain as your sounding board. He had opinions. I don't know if he was always right, but we'd always have good arguments, which were enjoyable."
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