Atex/Fairfax systems expert Johan Leferink dies
Former Atex and Fairfax Media software engineer Johan Leferink has died after a long battle with cancer.
The funeral was to be held in Pakenham, Victoria, this Thursday following his death on Saturday.
A member of the enterprise systems technology team, he had joined Fairfax from Atex – supplier of the Genera advertising and editorial systems – where he had been working for 15 years when an opportunity to join the publisher arose in 1995.
“Johan enjoyed a challenge and was passionate about working for Fairfax,” says Stephen Hopkin.
He had developed software and supported the various technology systems and teams used in many areas of the business across Australia and New Zealand, and had been involved in new projects from the roll-out of Genera, AdCompose, Fairfax Digital Collections, OMM, MediaXChange and Arkitex.
“He was a respected colleague and friend who will undoubtedly be missed by all who worked with him,” says Hopkin, who is Fairfax’s group IT services manager and technology director for Australian Community Media. “He will be fondly remembered for his warm-hearted personality and fun nature around the office.”
CCI regional sales director Mike Garland says Leferink was well known and respected in the industry because of his time at Atex and Fairfax, “but more importantly, a really great chap”.
Fairfax colleague Malcolm McDonald posted on LinkedIn that it was rare for someone to have such an impact on an industry: "Not only was he a great asset to the companies he worked for but ... he cared about people. He always had time to help and was always willing to share his vast knowledge and help others."
The funeral is being held at the David W. Bull Funeral Home, 190 Princes Hwy, (Cnr Pakenham Rd) Pakenham on Thursday, July 31 at 10:30am.
He is pictured (right) with his wife Hannie taken at a wedding in 2011