John was a true son of the soil

Date: 15 March 2024 By: Andries van Zyl

The Soutpansberg bade a sad farewell to one of its true sons with the passing of 78-year-old John Greaves on Monday, after a short battle with cancer. His passing came just more than a week after the death of another stalwart of the Soutpansberg, the 87-year-old Rob Milton.

“He never had any pain, which was a blessing,” said John’s wife, Gail. John was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of lung cancer on 18 December last year.

The Greaves family’s relationship with the region stretches back more than 100 years. John’s grandfather, the well-known civil engineer H.F. Greaves, was tasked with the block-by-block dismantling of the old railway building in the then Pietersburg and re-assembling it where it still stands today in Louis Trichardt, when Pietersburg received a new railway station building at the turn of the previous century.

John was born on 26 June 1945 at Elim Hospital and grew up on the farms Sarum and Rudyard (just west of Louis Trichardt), which his grandfather bought in 1923. He attended the English medium primary school in present-day Polokwane. Sadly, John lost his father, William (also to cancer), at a very young age. When his dad passed away, he was only 15 years old.

John went on to graduate from high school at Pretoria Boys High. He then completed his military training before enrolling at Cedara College of Agriculture in KwaZulu-Natal, pursuing a career in farming. After completing his studies at Cedara, John returned to the Soutpansberg and started farming on the family farms.

During the early years, John farmed with sorghum, peanuts, and maize. He also had a piggery. Later, he would mainly focus on cattle farming.

John met Gail at a wedding in 1972. Gail herself was born and bred in the Soutpansberg, with her family’s relationship with the region also stretching back more than 100 years. The couple got married in the local Anglican Church on 14 December 1974, and three daughters were born of the marriage: Kerrin, the oldest, Sandra, the second, and Lauren, the youngest.

“I miss his presence. I mean, we have been together for the past 49 years. We were good friends and were good together,” said Gail.

John was very passionate about conservation and an avid birdwatcher. “He never went anywhere without his binoculars,” said Gail. He was extremely fond of visiting the Kruger National Park, and for John, no better vacation destination existed. “That was his ultimate holiday for a week!” said Gail.

John and Gail are still very well known as the owners of Buzzard Mountain Retreat, which the couple ran successfully on the farm. “We opened Buzzard Mountain Retreat when somebody once asked why we did not open our farms to tourism and share the mountain's unique beauty. And we did. In the last couple of years, however, we scaled down our activities, mainly only catering to family and close friends,” said Gail.

John was a kind man and loved animals. “He was a very quiet and humble person – a bit of an introvert,” said Gail.

Daughter Sandra shared the passing of her dad on Facebook on Monday, also paying tribute to him. “Our darling Daddy and Papa left us today. A true hero, gentleman, and fighter. Daddy, our lives are going to be so empty without you around. We have so many happy memories and so much love. Surrounded by all your girls in the family, there was never a dull moment. A man of few words, but when you spoke, people listened. A dedicated farmer who never gave up, even during the tough times. You were loved and still are loved by so many,” she wrote.

A memorial service for the late John Greaves will be held on Tuesday, 19 March, at the Agapé Church in Munnik Street, starting at 11:00. He is survived by his wife, Gail, daughters, Kerrin (and husband, Ryan), Sandra (and husband, Keith), and Lauren, four granddaughters, and sisters Janet and Liz.

Gail thanks all who supported her and the family in their time of sadness. “I have been overwhelmed by the care and love we have received from this community. Thank you to all. There are just too many people to mention by name,” said Gail. She did, however, thank Dr Emil Gaigher, their family doctor, by name, as well as all his medical colleagues who assisted in John’s treatment. They also thanked the oncologists in Johannesburg.

“The outpouring of kindness has stunned us as a family. It just shows what it means to be part of a small community,” said Gail.

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Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

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