Wow what a wonderful farewell to such a loved and respected man,

Mate way too soon! Will miss your cheeky banter and always enjoying a good laugh. RIP in my friend.

Wat een triest nieuws. Maar wat zijn we blij dat we Jeroen nog persoonlijk hebben ontmoet in Jirnsum waar we nog een biertje mochten drinken. Het is al weer jaren geleden. Maar fijn dat we elkaar daar nog eens spraken na jaren. Via FB hebben we hem gevolgd, en wat een pracht leven en bedrijf heeft hij opgebouwd in NZ. Zoveel respect. Hij was inspirerend en Ik ben trots op zo'n neef. Ik zal de sunsets missen en hoop De familie in NZ nog eens te kunnen bezoeken. Staat op mijn bucketlist. Hangloose Jeroen.

The day I found out that Jeroen had sailed away, was a shock to the system. Jeroen had been visited by Manta Rays while he was out on the ocean only days earlier. This and the date inspired me to draw a symbolic Manta ray. Their name comes from the Spanish work for ‘cloak’. Symbolic of using energy wisely and for purpose. A symbol of wisdom and graceful strength. Because the manta ray is able to navigate the ocean and the different depths, it is a reminder that we will get to our destination if we just keep moving forward. The date we found out was the 22/02/2022. Adding the month and the year make an 8 with two 2s. Looking at the images of the manta from a day before, I noticed ones particular form. Years ago I had acquired a small shadowbox with a kirikiri stone loose inside. This felt like the appropriate time to give it purpose again with the message upon its back. I carved the symbol into its surface and glued it back together. Pulling an old bottle that had been within the sea for many years encrusted with barnacles and other marine life, became another medium, and is now adorned by the Manta Ray symbol. It has been an honour and I am thankful to have known Jeroen for so many years since I was a child from being family friends with my parents. My best wishes for Kate Malcolm, Tristan, Essie and Bex and Opa to Adelyn, Family and Friends, and the team at Dive! Tutukaka and my sincerest condolences.

Niet te bevatten, dit verdrietige nieuws. Ik heb Jeroen in Irnsum mogen ontmoeten en via Facebook hadden we contact. Mijn herinnering aan Jeroen is positiviteit, enthousiasme en energie en daar maakte hij zijn omgeving deelgenoot van. Ik vond dat geweldig. Kate, familie en vrienden heel veel sterkte!! Ik ben/wij zijn in gedachten bij jullie.

Beautiful service for a beautiful Jeroen. Thanks so much for live streaming. To Essie, Kate, Bex and Tristian and to everyone else, you spoke so well. You spoke with words of love and happiness. It was an incredible service, one filled with many happy memories of his life. Thinking of you always xxxx

Thank you for the live stream today, feeling blessed to see the love for JJ, Kate the Dive Tutukaka team, friends and the community. A true gentleman, leader with energy and passion for our environment and world. Sending love and strength to everyone. Sarah

Unfortunately I could not be there today in person, however I am very thankful for the opportunity to watch the live stream. Such great speakers and speeches alike and so special to hear from family members from the Netherlands. It has been an absolute pleasure for us to bring our school students out for the trip to the Poor Knights for nearly 10 years now. You always welcome us with such positivity and warmth. Much love to you all, both family and friends xx

Wow what a man! I feel lucky to have known you Jeroen. Every time I saw or spoke with you -your positive, inspiring leadership shone gently, but strongly through. Thank you for your amazing legacy. Arohanui to you Kate, and to the wider whānau Moe mai ra e te Rangatira Megan

Thank you Kate and JJ's family for sharing this service today. I send my love to you, Jeroen's beloved family and the Tututaka community. I pay tribute to you, Jeroen - you were a truly inspirational human being. You spread joy, commitment, energy and courage into the world around you - your love of the natural environment and for the people in your life and future generations. I cherish the times that we worked together or laughed together. Your legacy and spirit of strength and positivity will remain - it will go on within the hearts and minds of your family and within the community. Waiho ra kia tu takitahi ana nga whetu o te rangi. Thank you so much.

Jeroen it’s hard to believe you are gone! Your life force always shone so brightly. Thank you for your mentorship, your support, and your friendship. Knowing you has without doubt made me a better person, and the world is without doubt a better place for having had you in it. Thank you so much for being such a wonderful, fun loving, inspiring, truth living human! Kate, what a partnership you’ve had. Such a love it a fantastical thing, and such a loss so hard to bear. My heart is with you wonderful woman! Arohanui Rachael

We'll miss you Jeroen. Thank you for your infectious positivity. You always saw the glass as half full, a great example of how to look at life, something I will always remember about you. Gone way too soon Jeroen. All of our love to Kate and your whanua. Rene, Kristen and kids.

We'll all miss you Jeroen, and your infectious mischievousness. Your energy and passion for everything you did was unrivaled! Incredible how much you achieved. We've been lucky to be part of your journey, and the legacy you leave is immense. Arohanui to you Kate, and to the wider whānau. Dave

Thank you for sharing this service for Jeroen today, for the opportunity to be part of the farewell for an inspirational man who loved the Ocean, loved life, loved his family and loved Kate. Jeoren, thank you for making a difference to so many lives. Arohanui.

Jeroen, You touched so many, you guided so many and you set the standards for industry participation for us all. Your love of the seas and your vision for the environment are infectious and I have no doubt your legacy will live on for many years. One of the godfathers of the tourism industry here in Aotearoa and a man who I looked up to with the utmost respect. Thank you for everything, rest easy now Jeroen, I hope we can all make you proud and I know you'll be watching. James

sorry i couldnt be there today Kate, sending our aroha to you and the Whanau. Will miss your infectious smile Jeroen and comforting words during tough times. You always inspired us. Moe mai ra e te Rangatira, Steffan

Jeroen - it still feels like yesterday that you popped into the Dive Connestion in Whangarei for chats , then gave me a job working on your boat El Tigre with Luke. Some of the best years of my life, unforgetable memories and friendships were made. Getting to watch Dive ! Tuts grow has been incredible. You are amazing. My heart goes to Kate , Tris and everyone else . Bendy x

You were the most creative, most lovely and most inspirational man Jeroen. Kua hinga te tōtara i Te Waonui-a-Tāne (The tōtara tree has fallen in Tāne’s great forest). This whakatauki befits you enormously. The great Totara tree of the forest of Tane, when one falls it is a great tragedy. You once said to me "life is not about pushing paper around a desk, it is about making a positive difference in the world, doing something good and with passion" You were truly focussed on doing good in the world that will last - and that is exactly what you did. Much love.

Your vision for our environment and the dive industry and New Zealand Underwater was amazing. Stepping out stepping forward always on the front foot where there were impediments but not obstacles will always be remembered and a legacy for the future. Thinking of you, Kate and all those who had been impacted by knowing you. Rest In Peace. You can be very proud of your achievements. Alan

Jeroen, If the time you will watch over your loved ones and your community is decided by how much you cared, then I know that you will watch over us here for longer than most. I find myself staring at the Islands, squinting to see if your passing has marked them. Sometimes, I think I can see something of your spirit on the sea or rocks, but then I realise that the ages old place will welcome you and make you a part of its history and future, just like the people that you changed in your time here. I hope you can tell that we’re wrapped around your loves and will keep them safe and help them grow into their new ways of being. Keep watching, I know you will be proud of them.

A huge loss to northland and seas. Our love is with you Kate and family at this tough time. Much love Vicki Chris and Connor

Jeroen.....a wonderful man who " kissed the sea" and embraced its tranquility and epic sealife with his protective hug!!!!! A true love of and respect for this earths beauty.....and an immense desire to keep it that way!!!! My family and I are forever grateful to have come to know Jeroen and Kate.......truly remarkable people!!!! All our love Glen, Jen and Ashleigh....❤❤

Such a huge loss. An amazing guy who always went out of his way to help with my music career. He was someone I looked up to alot and always made time for everyone. Sam

Such a massive loss to a beautiful community and amazing family. He brought us so much and to somany. Boatloads of wonderful Poor Knights dives for me to remember over two decades. Love and hugs to beautiful Kate and JJ’s family. You will be surrounded by so much love and comfort, that is guaranteed. Kia Kaha. “What is lovely never dies, but passes into another loveliness, Stardust or sea foam”

A man of the sea – his place of work, pleasure and passion. I admire his advocacy for protecting the marine environment, especially our beloved Poor Knights Islands. I admire his support for those wanting to explore, study and protect this world. I can hear his voice on an answerphone in 1996 “Welcome to Knightline Charters”. He helped me and countless others explore the Poor Knights and indulge a passion for the underwater world. Orange Man, I salute you.

I will miss you so much. One of the most amazing men I have ever met. My visits to Tutukaka will never be the same x

We zullen Jeroen herinneren als een eerlijk persoon in wel eens goede en slechte tijden. En weloverwogen om niet in militaire dienst te willen en daarna zijn geluk willen proeven in New Zeeland. Water was voor hem alles. Een zeilschool opgericht en nog veel meerdere functies. Wat hebben we genoten van zijn verhalen via Facebook. Het is nu stil, maar zullen hem herinneren als een oprecht persoon die veel deed onder de mensen. Rust zacht Jeroen.

Ik leef mee.het overlijden van Jeroen.

Jeroen, I will always remember the day that we took the Heni J out and, on the way back, just as twilight fell we encountered a pod of dolphin. You cut the engine and we drifted in total silence, lying down near the bow to listen to the dolphins as they slowly came up to breath, spraying us with water. It was magical. We looked at each other and, in the fading light we knew ... this was the life. You were and are my friend and i will really miss you.

Like so many, I am completely lost for words by the shocking, terribly sad and heartbreaking news of Jeroen's sudden passing 😢💔 Taken from us far, far too soon! His warm, passionate, inspirational, life- and ocean-loving soul and cheeky smile will remain with all of us forever; he was a true legend and a wonderful friend to many, including me - and I'm so grateful for that. May he rest in 'deep peace' 🕊💧. My heart goes out to Kate, the children, the family, all other loved ones, the entire team at Dive! Tutukaka and the diving & local community at large. 🧡 kia kaha 🧡 Behouden vaart⛵️, Jeroen Brigit / Brechje

Kua hinga he totara i te wao nui a Tane. A totara has fallen in the forest of Tane. We are all still in complete shock about the sudden passing of Jeroen. The whole tourism industry across the motu is reeling with the news. He was a proud Northland ambassador and for the Tutukaka coast, a tourism industry stalwart, a pioneer in regenerative & ecotourism, a champion for our oceans & the Poor Knights Marine Reserve, a positive mentor, an inspiration to many of us, a loving partner to Kate and one of those good buggers in life. Words cannot describe the impact he had on our lives and our marine environment, nor the colossal of the true hero he was. I feel proud he was honoured as Tourism Industry Champion at the NZ Tourism Awards in 2015 to acknowledge the passion, the mahi and the love we had for this great man. How do we honour such a significant loss? We vow to continue his powerful legacy. Arohamai, kia kaha & kia maia to Kate, his whanau & friends. Let us wrap our arms around them & the Dive! Tutukaka crew ❤️

I like many of you I find it incredibly hard to “process’ that Jeroen is no longer amongst us. When publishing Dive New Zealand magazine for 27yrs, Jeroen and I had numerous discussions regarding the Dive Industry and the promotion of NZ diving to the local and international markets. His POSITIVITY was infectious, and his Trademark smile will be very much missed by those in the dive industry and of course to numerous Dive Tutukaka staff and visitors to Tuts and the Poor Knights marine wonderland. The Knights are weeping. Having a coffee in Tuts will not be the same anymore without him giving me cheek! To Kate, we send you loving hugs. You will get through this. You are surrounded by many many true friends. To the extended family, take a deep breath and smile when you recall the fun times you had with this amazing talented man. The sun will still shine. Rest easy mate. Dave & Petal Moran.

Jeroen - you were always so positive, leading from the front - an inspiration in building a sustainable business and always focused on giving back to the environment and to the community. What you and Kate and the team have built will be your memorial.

The Jeroen I’ve been honoured to know was a passionate visionary who transformed his visions into wonderful realities that can be shared by generations. He was a man with whom you could have a lively debate without it becoming angry or personal. He was someone who was always a pleasure to run into, except when it was the collision on our shared drive (I’m sure Jeroen would laugh at that). His legacy – make that legacies – are something we should all be thankful for because they will outlast us all. His vision was truly deep and lasting. Deepest condolences and love from Anne and me to Kate, Essie and the family and crew.

Thinking of you Jeroen The years roll by unchecked, unseen Unless we talk to friends and say “Remember when…..” But even then the loss is there. Things undone, unsaid. Too far away to feel the touch of skin, The wrinkle of eyes, crease of chin With your widening smile. Memory details airbrushed by time. We need to see each other again! Oh Jeroen, We miss you so. Hilton.