The following obituary was written by Leonie Seabrook and James Leahey (PH 74-79)

Jonathan Seabrook died peacefully on 30 October 2022 in Brisbane, Australia, aged 61. Jon is survived by his wife Leonie, sons Alex and Charlie, his mother, Diana and his brother, Mike.

Jon was put into Park House under the watchful eye of his house master, David Kemp, though he would have been a daunting sight for his fellow Novi as a hulking brute of 6’ at age 13. His fun-loving and easy-going character quickly broke down any barriers.

Jon Seabrooke seated (second on right), James Leahey seated on the ground (right)

Jon was also very sociable and had a great love of sports and games—characteristics that remained unchanged throughout his life. These traits somewhat derailed his academic progress in his senior years at school, where the delights of Tonbridge High Street, in particular the pinball arcades, in the company of like-minded friends proved rather more fun that studying. Jon worked hard to keep in touch with many of those friends over the years.

Jon met his wife of 42 years, Leonie (Lulu) Bicknell in London in 1980. They bonded over a similar sense of humour and a love of motorbikes.

In 1993 the Seabrook family moved to Australia where Jon’s love of DIY was satisfied by renovating an old timber cottage in NSW, which he pretty much dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up. In the meantime, he joined Suncorp Bank, where he developed over many years a successful personal and small business lending practice. Although he made enduring friendships at work, he would have conceded that for him work was more a way of paying the bills rather than a way of life.

Jon’s steadfast character and kindness was leavened by quirks such as over-exuberant motorbike riding where a grinning Jon would scare the living daylights out of anyone who got on the back of his bike, and by his support of both Chelsea and Manchester United football teams, which amounted to something of a criminal offence. His excuse was that Chelsea were relegated in the 1970’s so he had to pick a new team to follow!

The onset of aggressive Parkinson’s disease when he was 57 unfairly stacked the cards against Jon, but he was a true stoic with the ability to make the best of any situation. Even as he became more and more disabled, he still enjoyed life and was positive to the end. One of his last actions was to ask his engineer brother Mike to design a high-flow oxygen meter so that Jon could escape from hospital. Mike’s response noted that the "pass me my spanner, I'll fix this" approach was well embedded in the male Seabrooks, as was the "get me home now" instinct.

Throughout his adult life, Jon was happiest at home, surrounded by family and friends, cooking up a storm, downing G&Ts or beers, playing games and laughing. He was at ease with everyone he met, providing unconditional support, guidance, and loyal friendship. He was always looking to help people. In particular, he loved his boys, Alex and Charlie. Hanging out with them over the years gave him so much pleasure. To his wife, Leonie, he was always a true romantic—loving, caring and thoughtful. Vale, Jon. You will always be in the hearts of those who knew you.

(PH 74-79)