Dearly loved husband of the late Heather Spicer (née Sinclair); much-loved father and father-in-law of Jan and Andrew Taylor; Dean and the late Michelle Spicer; and Linda and Noel Hill. Loved Grandad of Mark, Rachel, Sarah, Catherine, Antoinette, Johnathan, Michael, Autumn, Matthew, and Letitia, and great-grandfather of Noah and Kobi. Loved brother of the late Jim Spicer, brother-in-law of Di and Ralph Sinclair, uncle to Vicki and Steve, and a special friend to many.
A farewell for John will be held at the Kaikorai Rugby Club, 25 Lynn Street, Māori Hill, Dunedin, at 12 noon on Wednesday, July 8, followed by a private cremation. The service will also be livestreamed via the link below. In lieu of flowers, donations to Otago Community Hospice would be appreciated and may be left at the service or on the link below.
Messages to the Spicer family, c/- PO Box 5013, Dunedin 9054, or may be left below.
Please note, the service will be available live on the link below and then the recording will be available within 48 hours.
Service details
The service was held on 8 Jul 2026.
Live stream
LivestreamMessages
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I was so sorry to read of John's passing. My parents, Neil and Beulah Cairns, got to know John and Heather through their involvement in the Lions Club, and they would talk so fondly of them both. We moved to Canterbury to run a rural restaurant in the 1980s, and when I was relocating back to Dunedin in my late teens to study, my parents reached out to Heather and John to enquire into any part-time work for me. Heather and John so kindly offered me employment at their South Dunedin cafe - I actually doubt the work existed for me, rather they were just such a 'salt of the earth' couple, and reflecting back, I think they simply wanted to help me out. Dad passed away in 2013, and Mum in 2022 - she had also been in Summerset and I know she would have loved to have reconnected with John had she realised he had been there also. My sympathy and warmest regards to you all, as you now look to navigate life without your special Dad. Rachel Harris (nee Cairns) - Roslyn, Dunedin
We were unable to attend John’s farewell in person as Ron is recovering from heart surgery. John was a great mentor and friend to Ron over many years at Kaikorai Rugby Club. I also enjoyed the chats with John on the sideline or in the club rooms. A truly lovely man. We both enjoyed watching the livestream of John’s farewell , learning about his life away from rugby. Family sharing and photos bring wonderful memories. Words cannot express how fortunate we feel to have known John. Our thoughts are with all of John’s family. Memories stay with us forever. Ron & Jude St Clair-Newman
Deepest sympathy to the Spicer Family. My thoughts are with you all at this sad time. J.J. you were an exceptional very special friend. Rest in Peace Shirley Wood