John Frank Leonard Stall has actually died at the age of 76. Too young for anybody to pass away– specifically a “living legend” like John.
I consider his life as a book: Born British, lived Australian and passed away Thai was the index to a tabulation that covered a panorama of the tough life he welcomed.
Amongst his numerous accomplishments, John, who passed away last month, was an excellent sailor, winning numerous occasions in the northern Gulf at the Royal Varuna Luxury Yacht Club in Pattaya and once again off his “embraced island”– Koh Samui.
He constantly intended to be very first throughout that evasive goal in a private yacht race– or, in life itself.
In this obituary, I have actually contacted the sharp memory of his beautiful child, Jom, and easily interpose my own recollections with those of Jom.
John was born upon April 17, 1942 at Retford, Nottingham, the UK.
In the 1950s, his household transferred to Perth, Australia, where he, no doubt, got his noticable Aussie accent, his distinct sense of humour and a rather negative point of view of much of the ludicrous functions of life. (From my own experience, I can securely state that a person MUST have these 2 latter credit to make it through Australian “culture”.)
His primary contribution to Australia was getting in the Royal Australian Navy in the submariner service, for which he made a variety of medals and awards in local disputes. Therefore, John was qualified above– and below– the water!
He pertained to Thailand, where he developed a travel business called Pattaya Ocean Tours and chartered among the unusual Chinese scraps ever seen in Pattaya waters.
Married to Wunwelai “Pang” Jiamsungtong, John and Pang developed the Pattaya Cruising Center which imported Prindle Cats from the U.S.A., boat equipment and Lasers from the UK and Australia.
The pioneering spirit took control of and John relocated to the then-pristine Koh Samui, developed (and assisted develop) among the very first resorts, the Tradewinds Cottages on Samui’s prime piece of realty, at Chaweng Beach.
Now, some years later on, Chaweng appears like Waikiki Beach in Honolulu– or, even worse– Coney Island.
He meddled a cruising school and even developed an outdoor motion picture theatre in South Pattaya, much to the irritation of the regional mafia who “accompanied” him off the facilities at weapon point.
He relocated to Koh Samui, constructing among the very first visitor homes, the Trade Winds at the then-exotic Chaweng Beach.
As he had actually provided for the citizens of Koh Larn in Pattaya, John contributed much to individuals and kids of Koh Samui, through cruising, training and scholarship awards.
I constantly delighted in sessions with John, covering a variety of subjects and an equivalent variety of red wines, over the Royal Varuna bar.
He was remarkably well-read and hilariously amusing in his mocking so-called popular figures. No public figure might leave his paradox.
He even scolded me, when, for utilizing the expression “John is a stal( l) wart in the Pattaya cruising arena”, in among my columns. That remark expense me a glass of red wine and a substantial laugh.
Life ultimately overtook John who had actually never ever decreased– on land or at sea– and a dreadful transition cancer lastly took him from us.
John leaves his beautiful, good-natured partner, Pang, his equally-lovely child Jom and his boy Patrick, to continue the Stall custom and his ashes were spread on the Gulf of Pattaya on Aug 5.
Now, he will be permanently a part of the sea he liked so well and will be a fond memory for his fellow sailors.
It was a proper homage to a fantastic sailor who prevented numerous a reef in his life’s journey, checked out the wind well and understood when to add the many wind shifts along the method!
