It was only a few weeks ago that Marcia Kimball was marking the 40th anniversary of Parkinson's ACT.
Her husband John, a well-known sporting figure and businessman in Canberra, had been diagnosed with Parkinson's in his late 50s. He would have loved to have attended the 40th anniversary event, but he was too unwell.
Marcia was always by his side, advocating for not only her husband but everyone diagnosed with the disease in Canberra as chair of Parkinson's ACT.
Sadly, John died on September 11, 2026 in Canberra aged 77.
A celebration of his life will be held at the Margaret Whitlam Pavilion at the National Arboretum from 11am on Tuesday, September 29.
He and Marcia were together for 54 years. They had two children, Matthew and Rebecca. And their extended family includes daughter-in-law Ellen and son-in-law Kieron and grandchildren Olivia, Jaime, Lachlan and Kaelan.
When he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease almost two decades ago, John was still working, still a competitive squash player, and well-known as the president of the Belconnen Magpies Football Club.
But with no cure for the disease, John's health and mobility were in gradual decline.
In the ACT, more than 2000 people live with Parkinson's, a neurodegenerative condition with complex motor and non-motor symptoms including rigidity, tremor, pain and gastrointestinal issues, as well as memory, depression, thinking and sleep problems.
Fifty people a day are diagnosed with the disease in Australia.
Marcia and John moved to Canberra in 1971 from Albury. She was posted to the national capital as a teacher and John followed his then-girlfriend. John had been a sports writer for The Border Mail in Albury-Wodonga in his early years.
The Belconnen Magpies Football Club paid tribute to John, who was a former president, captain-coach, representative player and lifelong Magpie.
John joined Acton Football Club, one of the foundation clubs of Canberra football. He went on to play for West Canberra when it was formed in 1974, becoming captain-coach a year later.
Turner and Belconnen joined West Canberra and John joined the new club of the Belconnen Magpies, becoming president of the club in the 1990s. He and the board set up the club for successes on and off the field.
"John understood that the strength of a club came from the people who stood beside one another," the Belconnen Magpies tribute read.
"He valued the friendships formed through football and the sense of purpose that came from working together for something bigger than any individual."
John and Marcia's son Matt played junior football for West Canberra and senior football for Belconnen, and was coached by his dad along the way. Their daughter, Rebecca, worked at the Magpies Sports Club, as did their niece Hayley Jensen, who went on to become a star, first with Australian Idol and then as a solo country artist.
John was also a handy middle order batsman with the South Woden Cricket Club and represented both Australia and Victoria in the sport. And he played squash with the University of Canberra club, winning a gold medal at the 1994 World Masters Games in Queensland.
Marcia, Matt and Rebecca will pay tribute to John, a much-loved husband, father and grandfather, in November at the Walk to Fight Parkinson's.
The event is being held on Sunday, November 22, starting from the Patrick White Lawns near the National Library on the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin.
There are numerous walking and running options on the day including a five kilometre walk or run.
Walk to Fight Parkinson's is a fundraiser for The Hospital Research Foundation Group - Parkinson's. The goal is to maximise choice, independence, mental health and wellbeing for people impacted by Parkinson's or other neurological disorders in the ACT.
It was a measure of the cruel, relentless march of Parkinson's that John could in 2019 walk the route around Lake Burley Griffin. When the event returned in 2022, after the pandemic, John had to use a wheelchair.
John and Marcia's daughter, Rebecca Winfield, has set up a fundraising page for the 2026 Walk to Fight Parkinson's.
The family's participation this year will be "in loving memory of John".
To sponsor Rebecca in the walk, go to:www.walktofightparkinsons.com.au/fundraisers/johnkimball/walk-to-fight-for-parkinsons
