Skydiving great-grandmother honoured for St John fundraising

Jean Crabtree, skydiving back in 2023 aged 94, with Skydive Tauranga. Photo / Skydive Tauranga

A skydiving great-grandmother who inspired a major fundraising effort for Hato Hone St John has been recognised.

Welcome Bay resident Jean Crabtree was presented with the St John Priory Vote of Thanks at a March 6 ceremony.

However, the 96-year-old insists the Skydive95 campaign in April 2023 was a team effort.

“This is much-appreciated recognition by St John,” she said.

“It may have my name on it, but in reality, it’s for all the committee members — those who helped behind the scenes and, of course, those who jumped.”

Four generations of the Crabtree family, plus staff and residents of Welcome Bay’s Greenwood Park Village, made up a group of 18 who took part in Skydive95 in April 2023.

Charlotte and Jenny Everitt ready to watch their beloved Jean Crabtree, back in 2023 aged 94, who was about to skydive for charity. Photo / John Borren

They raised more than $51,000 and now have the name of Crabtree’s retirement village on the side of an ambulance.

St John area committee chairman Vaughan Coy said the award was a vote of thanks from the highest echelons of St John that had to be applied for and deemed worthy.

“Jumping out of a plane is amazing and, from the organisation’s point of view, having anyone support us like that is incredible. We just need these kinds of people.”

St John community partnership fundraiser for the central region Gunner Lovich said: “We, as an organisation, want to recognise the folk that have given in such a way that enables St John to carry out daily care of the sick and injured in the community”.

St John’s Vaughan Coy, Norm Harris, Marcus Blumson, Jimmy Bray and Gunner Lovich with Jean Crabtree. Photo / Debbie Griffiths

Crabtree first skydived at age 85 and jumped again aged 90, before the Skydive95 fundraising event ahead of her 95th birthday.

“This award is for everyone who worked, those who jumped and all those who donated,” she said.

“Skydiving is a piece of cake; there’s nothing to it. I won’t do another, though.

“When I turn 100, I’d like to try aerobatics in a Tiger Moth.”