4 January 1953 – 4 May 2025
John was Dad to Julia, Ben, Zane, Joanna and Everette. He was a brother to Brian and David/Bruce. Father in law to Tania, Megan and Ash.
To Alexa, Kaea, Bella, Archie, Pia and Leigh he was always just Poppa.
John was a lover of stories, a counsellor, an educator and an academic. He was a renowned international expert in narrative therapy practice and theory, and author of 13 books. He was dedicated to his work, but he lived with a sense of adventure and a passion for helping others and resolving conflict. He loved rugby, cricket and all other sports. He cherished his grandchildren and was a big part of their life.
An earlier tribute to John’s professional work can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiYxCsPiQI0
An earlier summary by him of his work can be found here: https://vimeo.com/105929012
We will hold a celebration of John’s life at 2pm on Saturday 10 May at Zenders, 44 Hopkins Road, Newstead, Hamilton. The celebration will be followed by a private cremation.
You are welcome to visit Dad, he will be with us at Ben’s place in Cambridge from Thursday and Friday.
For his many international friends and contacts, the celebration of John’s life will be livestreamed at the following link Below:
Grinter's Funeral Home © 2025
4 Messages:
John was such a voice of reason and calm and inquiry in the world of counselling. This was my experience of his presentations and his lecturing in 2010 when I met him (Mediation and Facilitation at Waikato Uni in 2010). I was able to utilise his recommended ways of being and engaging during my mother’s failing health and ultimately her death and funeral arrangements, in an ever so small town and in a complicated neurodivergent family. For the learning I was able to carry with me into that real-life (and death) situation at that time, I will ever be thankful. John was so eager and willing to share his thoughts, his knowledge, his wonderings, with us all who were in the counselling field, and YAY! I have a few of his books to re-read, to remember his deep influence on our profession. Condolences to John’s family for their loss.
That’s you for sharing the moving ceremony. Only met John at conferences and knew his work through his books. He touched me deeply and I am thankful for what he shared. Thanks for your influence John. And thank you his family, for making him multi stories by sharing the stories of him.
My condolences to John’s family. John was one of my most treasured Lecturers at Waikato University in the 1990’s. Warm, empowering and so skillful at passionately making narrative ideas and practices so accessible. His writing has inspired me hugely as a school counsellor and now as a Counselling Educator I share with my students his phenomenal writing, ideas and practices. A legend.
Thoughts with the Winslade family today, terribly sorry for your loss. What a lovely tribute to an amazing and interesting life.