Vale
Sensei John Halpin
1941-2007
8th Dan Seikukan Karate-do
2nd Dan Judo
The members of the Kenseikan Karate Club and the broader Martial Arts Community offer their heart felt condolences to John’s son Kyran, daughter Samantha and Jean as well as John’s brothers and their families on his untimely passing.
Sensei Halpin, a much respected figure and leader in the Martial Arts Community, was the Head of Style of Seikukan Karate-do in Australia as well as being the long serving President of the Australian Karate Federation, President of the Oceania Karate Federation and Treasurer of the World Karate Federation.
Sensei Halpins private funeral and very moving memorial was held on Tuesday 30th January 2007. It was a fitting tribute to a remarkable human being, a man who contributed freely and changed the lives of many people. Sensei John Halpin enriched the world when he was alive and the world is truly a poorer place for his passing .
The WKF President, Mr. A.Espinos had this to say at Sensei Halpin’s Memorial.
These days are days of intense and mixed feelings. Deep sadness and immense grief for the loss of John, but also serene pride for having had the privilege of knowing John in life and having learnt so much from his example.For me is also privilege to be here honouring his memory in the company of his family and his friends; I would have travelled the world as many times as it would have taken to be with John today.
I met John for the first time in 1994 and from the very beginning he became one of the keys to overcome the troubled times that the World Karate Federation was living by then. Four years later, I took probably one of the best decisions I have ever taken as President, as it was to ask John to become the Treasurer of the World Karate Federation. This unexpected proposal for John did not prevent him to show, once more, his tremendous generosity and he immediately accepted.Since then, more than eight years have passed and at every opportunity John has been able to prove to be a huge added value in the development of the World Karate Federation and for the sport of Karate.
Now John has left us and he leaves a big gap that is going to be very difficult to be filled. But he has also left us his legacy and his example, how we can live our short life in earth in harmony with ourselves, helping the people and making their lives better and easier.
The World Karate Federation, the world of Karate, will pay John the tribute he deserves. It will be in Tokyo before the next Congress of the WKF. I ask John’s family to be our guests there and I am sure that we will also share it with many of John’s friends.
Dear family of John, dear friends of John: John’s passing leaves us a model to follow, and much above everything else, his qualities as human being will always remain alive in the bottom of our hearts.
I would like to conclude my words with the last part of “A thousand wind”:
I will not stand at John’s grave and cry;
John is not there, John did not die.”
