(1980-83)
Red House
Jeff was a keen hockey player and favourite subjects were engineering, woodwork and tech drawing.
He can remember getting into trouble in Mr Vallender’s class and being sent off to be caned.
He left school to work at Autolines and completed an apprenticeship as car mechanic, though he spent his time out of work racing motorcycles.
He was always hanging around Honda Country and when he finished his apprenticeship, he went to work there. He married Kerry in 1989 and moved to the Yamaha shop known as MacKay and Donaldson. The couple spent a year in Nelson before coming back to Ashburton, where Peter Williams offered him a job at the Suzuki shop – he ended up buying the business.
Jeff was a St John cadet for nearly a decade, which came in handy when he and his mates crashed off their motorbikes. He is also a handy skill in his role as a volunteer firefighter and he has been with the Ashburton brigade for 32 years.