Local Pages
A Life of Service Celebrated for Tasmanian Church Pioneer John Jury
The death of John Jury on 25 June 2019 in Hobart, Tasmania has left a void in the lives of many people: family, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and members of the broader community. John was the first stake president in Tasmania and leaves a legacy that will live on for decades.
John was born in Hobart, Tasmania, one of two sons of Ernest Athol Jury and Doreen May Jury. During the late 1950’s and early 1960’s missionaries were often welcome visitors at the Jury home in Glenorchy. In the early 1960’s the church began the construction of what is now the Hobart Stake centre, not far from where John lived. At this time, as a 19-year-old he began to have the formal missionary discussions as he worked alongside many volunteer builders who were Church members. He described his experience, “there was nothing like it for us nonmembers as we soaked up the spirit, felt the fellowship and became part of the great adventure of building an excellent structure with unskilled labour.”
John could identify some courses of bricks he laid in the building. Now that building he helped build and served in for more than 50 years was the venue for his funeral.
John was baptised on 24 November 1963. Thus began a life of service in the church that continued until his passing. Approximately four years after his baptism, he married his sweetheart Margaret Leitch who has always been a stalwart supporter for John and their five children.
John served in many different callings, including early morning seminary teacher, when seminary was introduced into Australia in 1970. John served as branch president of the Glenorchy Branch from 27 July 1975 to 13 March 1977.
He was then called as a counsellor to Phillip G. Mitchell, the district president, and served in that capacity until the creation of the Hobart Australia Stake on 14 September 1977.
The Stake was organised by Elder Mark E. Petersen and consisted of three wards in southern Tasmania, one in Launceston and branches located at Devonport and Burnie. John Douglas Jury was called as the stake president, with Ian Graeme Oates and Devon William Woolley as councillors.
Travel to units in Northern Tasmania was time consuming for leaders and challenging for all the church members. President Jury oversaw the use of telephone conference hook ups so that other leaders living in Northern Tasmania did not have to undertake journeys that ranged from five to eight hours round trip.
He instituted a program of stake overnighters where youth activities were held alternatively in the North and South to foster relations between the widely dispersed membership. Construction of the Devonport chapel was completed while he was president, and on 19 October 1980, Devonport branch become Devonport ward.
Elder Robert Dudfield reflected, “Those were some of the most memorable times of my youth. I will always be indebted to President Jury and his family for the love and open arms they extended to me as a youth in the church.”
On 16 November 1986, John D. Jury, Ian G. Oates and Stephen J. Woolley were released. At the time John was the longest serving stake president in Australia.
Ian, reflecting on his association with John, remarked, “I served alongside John every week for nine years, two months and two days . . . the full term of his presidency. In that time, he taught me so much about how to serve. I shall be ever grateful for what he taught me which has enriched my life and flowed on to my family ever since.”
When John began his service as stake president, he had three children. When he finished there were five.
John continued to serve in the Church and he and Margaret were called to serve in the Dublin Ireland Mission. John was the mission president of the Dublin Ireland Mission 1995–1998.
He was called as bishop of the Glenorchy Ward serving from 1 July 2001 to 29 February 2004.
John was serving as stake patriarch at the time of his death. Current stake president Phil Smith reflected, “John Jury is respected and most loved. He has been a great strength to the Hobart Stake, a true gentleman, a man who lived his testimony, a man of service, a man of God.”
John served in many demanding church callings throughout his life, but he did not confine his help of others to the Church community. He was active in the community life of his local area, including being the president of the Rosetta High School parents and friends association, concurrent with his service as a stake president.
He served as a member of the Boy Scouts Association and as the chair of the City of Glenorchy Centenary of Federation Committee. He was involved in supporting and organising grassroots sport, including Australian rules football and basketball. This includes being the founder and first president of the School Basketball Association. He was elected as an alderman of the Glenorchy City Council, serving from 1993–1995.
John was always ready to help people, lend a listening ear, and offer thoughtful advice. Above all, he was a loving husband, father, and grandfather who is loved not only by his family but all those unnamed people he touched in and out of the church. He will be remembered as an intelligent, compassionate man, full of integrity and a faithful servant of our Saviour until the end of his mortal life.