[We] Can hardly imagine the place without him

When the news emerged that Fairholme teacher and renowned sports coach John Sessarago (Sess) had passed away suddenly on 28 January, the shock and ensuing grief were palpable and wide-reaching. The ripple effect of a man who served his community humbly, selflessly, and expansively is hard to fathom or measure.

Social media posts have captured the voices of thousands of students, friends, colleagues, and families whose lives have been touched in the most profound and enduring ways by this man. Universally, they are grateful to this teacher who taught them first and foremost about self-belief and valued them for who they were, wherever they were at.

Born in Roma to Brian and Elizabeth and brother to Gaby and Chrissy, he was also the proudest father of Jaimee and Georgie, and even prouder husband to Kristen. Whilst his early years were spent betwixt Surat and Roma, he spent most of his growing up in Toowoomba and completed his secondary schooling at St. Mary’s College and then at Downlands College where he dabbled in Cadets, Debating, Athletics and Rugby. One of his cohort described him simply as, “One of the good ones, always noted for his booming voice.”

Later, as he studied at UniSQ (formerly Darling Downs Institute of Education), he became a Downlands College Boarding master. But he remained a country boy at heart, and he frequented his friend Jim’s property in Texas – where branding or fencing work was a pleasure. He was also a keen fisherman and spent many holidays with Paul and others, in Cairns.

Whilst Sess is known broadly across the Darling Downs and beyond as a formidable Rugby player, an exceptional coach, mentor, and teacher of Physical Education, he actually commenced his teaching career at Fairholme College in 1988 as a Junior School teacher. But during the thirty-six years ahead, he reinvented himself as a practitioner, giving exceptional service to the school that he loved, the students who revered him and staff who adored him.

He was, sometimes simultaneously, Primary School teacher, Debating Coach, College Photographer, Videographer, Secondary Physical Education Teacher, Marketing and Promotions team member, Australian World Youth Athletics Coach, Rugby Coach, Touch Coach, Athletics ‘tragic’ … he was a man who loved a good cap, and he wore many: metaphorically and literally.

Sess was the man behind the camera at every event and every opportunity – keen always to be an observer, in the background, unobtrusive. It would be impossible to quantify how many shots he took over his 36 years at Fairholme – incorporated in his tally, are the countless weddings, formals, and family events he chronicled for staff, past students, and families. He found it impossible to say no and any photo he took seemed to end up in A3 or A4 size and framed – generously gifted and shared. Appropriately, and for posterity, in homes and homesteads across Australia, are myriad Sessarago shots.

Camera work suited this deeply private and humble man. Ironically, his voice was a booming one, and for thousands of Fairholme girls the instruction, “Just one more shot,” followed always by, “Oh, I’ll just take another” will be his trademark, along with some perilous ladder-climbing in order to secure the perfect picture angle.

‘Above and beyond’ were his hallmarks. They led him to being a perpetual presence at school, or school events, deeply interested in what was unfolding, keen to chronicle moments on camera and always holding students to high account in terms of contribution, attitude, and effort. He led with high expectations, tempered by a strong sense of fun and the most exceptional generosity. Generosity might have been evident in the cheesecakes, mud cakes and ice creams that seemed to find their way into classrooms, team gatherings and Pastoral Care group meetings via Sess, but it extended to the way he viewed people and the world: this is his legacy. He had no favourites, but everyone felt they were his favourite, such was his gift for including all and listening, really listening.

Whilst Fairholme likes to claim Sess as their own, it was his wife Kristen and daughters Jaimee and Georgie who stole his heart – he referred always to them in the collective, as “my beautiful girls”. The John Sessarago effect is broad and wide and deep and so many are grateful to him and for him and will continue to be, long into the future.

“[We] can hardly imagine the place without him.”

Dr Linda Evans | Principal