Answering a plea from the local association in March, John stepped in at the eleventh hour to research and write the successful application to the State Government’s ClubGRANTS scheme, supported by local Nationals MP Leslie Williams.

The members of Bago Magic, the inclusive drama group based in Wauchope, know John’s close involvement over many years also put them on a solid financial footing.

But, perhaps John Jordan’s most fitting legacy will be the sensory garden at HDRC Services’ recently opened offices and day-care centre in Morton Street, where the local not-for-profit organisation bases its district-wide respite care services and leisure programs for people with dementia or a disability.

While he didn’t lay paths or dig holes, John was responsible for the garden: It was built with the financial support of a community grant John pitched to Newcastle Permanent. The garden is the centre’s green heart:  a calm oasis where anxieties fade as clients and staff alike can enjoy the sunshine amid lawns, flowers and shrubs – or just watch the antics of a clutch of chooks.

As HDRC’s Business and Development Manager, John’s genius lay in his remarkable ability to craft winning applications for grants and funding – $3 million worth in the past three years. In no small measure, he nurtured the blossoming of the not-for-profit organisation, which relies on government and private-sector funding and donations for its work supporting local families caring for loved ones living at home.

Earlier this month, John died suddenly at his desk in an office which overlooked his beloved garden. He was 67.

At his funeral service, colleagues and friends were told of his childhood in England, his abiding passion for soccer, the head for figures which led him to a successful career in the insurance industry, and above all, his love for his children, Christopher and Angela. Mrs Williams was among the mourners, acknowledgment of John’s significant contribution to the community he adopted.

So, when it came to completing a project to add outdoor furniture to the sensory garden last week, it was only fitting that a plaque bearing John Jordan’s name be added to a bench seat as a permanent reminder of his vital contribution to HDRC Services.

“A gardener himself, John loved our garden,” said John’s close friend Raymond Gouck, HDRC’s CEO.

“His loss was a terrible blow – we’ll miss his wise counsel. He was very dedicated to furthering the work we’ve been doing for 30 years to help keep people with dementia or a disability remain living at home for as long as possible.”

The new garden furniture was purchased with the proceeds of a raffle organised by HDRC Board member, Ms Pat Thoeret. Pat got local real estate firm Laing+Simmons to donate the raffle prize (a $100 voucher for Fusion 7 Restaurant), then convinced Bunnings’ to stretch the raffle’s proceeds a little further in buying the garden furniture.

No doubt, John Jordan would have been impressed by her fundraising finesse.