Wednesday, 31 July 2019 - 3:35pm

Farewell to Constable Jos

2 min read

News article photos (6 items)

jos classroom
The Police flag and a bouquet adorned Jos's Police blue coffin.
'He made me smile, as he did every child and person he interacted with' - Inspector Jacqui Corner.
A guard of honour and haka sent Jos off on his final journey.
A guard of honour and haka sent Jos off on his final journey.
jos helmet

A “good bugger” who could bring a smile to the face of everyone he came in contact with during 36 years of policing on the West Coast was farewelled last week.

Senior Constable Jos Sturkenboom, who died this month, spent his entire career on the Coast after graduating mid-1983.

During that time he gave 30 years to Search and Rescue – including introducing a scheme to equip local rest-homes with tracking equipment for residents with Alzheimers.

“The nature and landscape of the West Coast is demanding, and quite frankly 30 years on Search and Rescue deserves a medal,” West Coast Area Commander Jacqui Corner told mourners at his funeral at St Patrick's Catholic Church, Greymouth.

Jos was a police negotiator for 10 years, was a major part of the Big Brother Big Sister programme, and an excellent fundraiser. And he was one of the first to put his hand up after the Pike River Mine disaster in 2010 and the Christchurch earthquake the following February.

After 15 years on the front line he became a school community officer. “Working with children and youth can be relentless. But it was in this role that Jos excelled,” Jacqui said.

From Karamea to Haast he brought passion and commitment to delivering drug education, the Keeping Ourselves Safe programme, road safety and cycling.

“Schoolchildren today love Jos because he taught them to ride a bike – just as he had often taught their parents to ride a bike.”

Senior Constable Terri Middleton – the jam to his peanut butter, as Jacqui described the pair – worked with Jos for 28 years on the front line, in SAR and on the schools programme. Often they needed to have each other’s backs so if a fight needed sorting.

“We had a rule. Jos (six foot four) to go in high and me to go low,” Terri, currently away on a Woolf Fisher fellowship, recalled in a tribute read at his funeral.

Although the pair had many tactics, pretty much all Jos needed were his words and his manner, which worked particularly well in schools. “He always made the time to stop, bend down and talk. The children having big beaming smiles. Now that was gold.”

Making people smile was his gift. “He made me smile, as he did every child and person he interacted with throughout his career," Jacqui said. “I understand why every child I see when I am wearing my uniform will ask me if I know Constable Jos.”

Senior Constable Mike Tinnelly recalled working alongside Jos for 20-plus years as a pleasure. He made a huge impact on many young people’s lives, Mike said, noting that he was prepared to bet that none of those at the funeral could remember anything negative about him.

The final word, perhaps, goes to fellow Wing 87 graduate and friend Senior Constable Al Hendrickson.

With the understatement that Coasters understand so well, he says: “Jos was the ultimate good bugger, who you could always rely on - no matter what situation you were in. He will be a massive loss to the West Coast Police as well as the community he served with passion and pride."  

Funeral photos: Senior Constable Bob Steele and Lydia Nimmo