Radio executive lived for faith, family and friends
Jac Kluts was a larger than life character – emotional and passionate – who lived his life with a deep sense of faith and a love for music, radio and his many friends and family.
The Christchurch radio executive was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in May, 2015. He died February 9, aged 62, praying with his wife Julia, his hand clasped in hers.
Jac had a knack for coming up with catch phrases and sayings. The one that dominated the final months and years of his life was the three F’s: faith, family and friends.
A natural communicator, he was texting and talking using recordings of his voice right to the end. On his final day – the last Friday afternoon – he told his son Jacson ‘‘enjoy every moment life has to offer’’.
‘‘MND didn’t change dad’s focus in life,’’ Jacson and his brother, Paddy, said in their eulogy for their father.
‘‘All MND did was enhance what dad stood for: faith, family, friends. As a father we could not have asked for a better role model, filled with flaws but perfect in every way.’’
Jacobus Andreas Kluts was born on 12 September, 1955, in Mosgiel, to parents Jac and Kathy. The family later moved to Queenstown before Jac left to go to boarding school at St Kevin’s, in Oamaru.
His first sales job in radio was as a cadet in Greymouth. A return to radio was on the cards, but from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s he became a sales rep for a string of record companies in Auckland and Wellington.
Jac’s knowledge and taste in music was prodigious. His sons remarked in his eulogy that not many fathers have better music taste than their children – but Jac undoubtedly did.
He toured with bands including
U2 and Echo & the Bunnymen and made a point of keeping up with new trends and artists; Sufjan Stevens, the American singersongwriter, being a particular favourite.
It was during a record company house party in Auckland, in the late 1970s, that Jac met Julia Fitzgerald. He used to tell friends that from the moment he saw her across the room, he knew she was the girl he would marry.
The couple married in 1981 and had four children together: Jacson, Paddy, Juliana and Joy. Julia described her late husband as an ‘‘amazing character’’ who made everyone ‘‘feel so special’’.
The young family lived in Wellington while Jac managed the Chelsea Records stores, before moving to Christchurch in the late
1980s when he took a job with Radio Avon.
From there Jac moved to The Radio Bureau, a job he held for more than two decades as Christchurch sales manager. Last year he was presented the Outstanding Contribution to Radio award – the industry’s top honour – by Simon Barnett.
When he was diagnosed with MND – a neurological disease that slowly destroys the nerve cells that control muscles – Jac was told by someone: ‘‘welcome to the worst club in the world.’’
And while he admitted to intense ‘‘soul pain’’ thinking about ‘‘losing the ones I love’’, Julia said Jac dealt with his prognosis with ‘‘incredible courage’’ and dignity.
In a show of character, he used his connections to help raise awareness of the disease, securing advertising for MND New Zealand to promote its annual fundraiser Walks 2 D’Feet and publicly telling his story in one of their ads.
MND New Zealand president Beth Watson said Jac’s advice about using social media and peerto-peer fundraising was a gamechanger for the organisation.
‘‘He helped us create awareness, people with MND can feel very alone so by Jac being prepared to go public more people know about it.’’
After the diagnosis, Julia said her husband experienced things more intensely. ‘‘My love for my wife is deeper than it’s ever been as a result of this terrible disease. My faith has deepened, very much so,’’ the devout Catholic said last year.
And he was committed. Julia said the family experienced many last moments with Jac – never quite sure when he would succumb to the disease. There was a period before last Christmas when things took a turn for the worse, but he persevered.
He was around for his brother and sister-in-law’s wedding in late January, and friends and family said he would still be there for Julia’s birthday on February 8.
He was, but died a day later. Julia had just returned from a walk – she went into the room where Jac was, took his hand and prayed with him.
‘‘It was like he waited for me to come home, and he literally, literally, died in prayer.
‘‘It was an absolute release for Jac. And it was such an incredibly peaceful one.’’
Jac is survived by his wife Julia, children Paddy, Jacson, Juliana and Joy, and his grandchildren Lilia, Addison and Annie, with another grandchild on the way.