End of the road for revered disaster management hero John Fobian
Former Buffalo City Metro disaster management spokesperson died on Friday morning
John Fobian, the revered and trusted former Buffalo City Metro disaster management spokesperson, has died. He was 61.
Fobian, who was at the forefront of saving hundreds of lives in BCM during disasters, died at an East London hospital on Friday morning from heart complications.
His son, John Fobian Jr, described his father as someone who went out of his way to help others.
“He put other people first. That is what he loved. That is what he lived for,” he said.
Fobian Jr said his father was a family man who loved his wife and children.
He said his father’s health started deteriorating in August after he had suffered a heart attack.
“After that he was in and out of hospital until the time of his death,” he said.
Fobian Jr said his father had been rushed to hospital on Wednesday.
“He was very weak. He was just not himself. The doctor told us that he had to be looked after in the hospital.”
Fobian Jr said the last time he saw his father was on Wednesday evening, when he visited him with his sister and another family friend.
“Looking at him lying on that hospital bed, I saw he was not going to make it. We received a phone call from the hospital on Friday morning to say that he was no more.”
Fobian Jr said the death of their passionate, dedicated dad was a big loss to the family.
“We lost our mom a year and six months ago and now it is him.
“The fact that my mom was not there any more, he became lonely.
“Though he had us around him, we could feel he was still missing the old lady,” he said.
To have lost their parents in such a short space of time had made the loss harder to bear, he said.
Fobian Jr said a funeral date was still to be set.
“We will have a family meeting, and decide on the date and venue,” he said.
Fobian is survived by five children and a grandchild.