Tribute by Alia Hassan & Zeid Hassan

Read out by Zeid during John's service on 13/02/2025

One of John’s best qualities was his ability to bring people together and utilise people’s strengths. And me speaking now is a perfect example of this, my mum, Alia, was asked to speak, but as I am sure John would know, mum is not much of a public speaker, so I am up here in her stead.

Mum met John in 1984. She was the representative from Southampton at a Hampshire Centre for Independent Living committee meeting. This was the start of a 40-year friendship and the start of mum’s politicisation, which John played a key part in. Before long mum was joining John to help organise different political actions, such as the Rights Not Charity protest. Mum would drive to John’s, sleep on the futon and then they would head into London the next day to attend these organising meetings. A key benefit of staying at John’s being the cakes his mum would bake.

John had vision of the world they were all working towards and the conviction and organisational skills to keep everyone on track. He was resilient and able to keep onto of everything he set himself to, a quality mum and I definitely struggle with. He was also modest, not only about his achievements but also his work’s positive impact on disabled people’s lives. A selflessness that is often difficult to find in people.

In 1996, mum visited John to work on notes from a symposium they organised. I was three weeks old and this was my first time meeting John. While mum and John worked, I was guarded by his gentle black Labrador, Dylan. We felt, Dylan was worthy of a mention since he was a loyal companion to John for a significant amount of time. John has always been constant feature in my life, a person who shaped my outlook on the world, shaped my politicisation and shaped my work as an architect.

As mum's involvement in disability activism slowed John kept up the fight on an international scale. Their friendship still remained and transformed, from meetings to lunches, from sharing cake to sharing olive oil from our family’s farm. He was family and was like a brother to mum.

When John and Jana first started talking, John called mum asking for a favour. Jana was coming to stay for the first time and if it was disastrous, would he be able to call mum for her to go and save him. Luckily no call came and no rescue was needed. An outcome we are so pleased with after seeing the joy Jana brought to John.

We will miss John dearly and his loss will be felt for a long time. We still have John’s Christmas present at home that is sitting waiting for him to receive and open it. We are sad to be saying goodbye but thankful for the knowledge, friendship and life we got to share.  Goodbye John

Alia and Zeid Hassan