He was educated at Gisborne Boys' High School and Massey University where he gained a woolhandling certificate.
He had a lifelong passion for dog trialling into which he was encouraged by men like Tom Mitchell from Mangarara and Jim English from Makiri.
John began this involvement in 1944 when he rode across country to compete at Tolaga Bay with his dogs Pat and Tip.
In the next two years he won the Local Champion Dog title at the Waimata trials.
His marriage to Alice Price, the school teacher at Waimata in 1947, brought an unexpected bonus.
Alice, from Hawke's Bay, was a friend of Billy Staniland from whom she acquired a heading pup.
This pup called Sharp grew into a top dog and was many times in the call at the National Championships.
Sharp placed sixth in the Short Head and Yard event at the North Island Championships in 1962, at Stratford.
Some years earlier, in 1951, John began his career as a dog trial administrator when he became the Waimata Club's secretary and delegate to the Poverty Bay Centre.
In 1958 he began 21 years as Poverty Bay president and delegate to the New Zealand council in charge of administering the affairs of the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Association.
The following year Poverty Bay hosted the New Zealand championships, the first of two national and two North Island championships during his term of office.
He became chairman of the National Stud Register Committee in 1966.
John was also an author, and had three books published — “Waimata Valley”, “Opou & Beyond” and “Sheep Dog Trialling in Poverty Bay and Beyond”.
He was also a member of the Poverty Bay A&P Show committee, with responsibility for running its sheep dog trials from 1960 to 1965.
He qualified as a sheep dog trial judge in 1961 and his first judging assignment was at Opotiki in 1962.
John's services to dog trials were recognised when he was awarded life membership of the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Association in 1979.
As well as farming sheep and cattle, John and his son Ian operated their own sawmill, producing sawn timber from their macrocarpa trees over many years.
Aside from sheep dog trials John had numerous off-farm interests.
He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and also a representative on the Waerenga-a-Hika Anglican vestry from 1951 to 1965.
More recently, for 18 years, John was a much treasured friend of the Sherwood Club.
He baked pikelets and assisted with lunches, as well as being a trusted companion to many of their clients. He also acted as Father Christmas at their annual party.
The Tombleson grandchildren were taught many skills during their school holidays at Ahititi.
John is survived by Ian, Keryn and Rodney and his many adoring grandchildren.
by Trevor Brown
