In memory of Jean-Paul (J-P) Genot (13 August 1949 — 30 November 2013): friend, Scottish Country dancer and former colleague and mentor.
Jean-Paul Genot grew up in what was then the Belgian Congo (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). He came to South Africa to study at the University of Natal (now the University of KwaZulu-Natal) in Durban and then moved to Pretoria to work at the University of South Africa (Unisa) Library.
When I started work as a librarian at Unisa in 1979, he was my supervisor and mentor.
He later moved back to Durban to work at the Technikon Mangosuthu (now the Durban University of Technology).
In the early 1990s he and his wife and their two daughters moved to Europe.
While working for a library systems company, he spent some time in Jerusalem, Israel.
While there, he took up Scottish Country Dancing at the St Andrews Presbyterian Church.
After moving to Frankfurt, Germany, to work for the European Central Bank, he danced with the Frankfurt SCD Club.
Whenever he came to South Africa to visit his in-laws and friends, he came to see me at the Library for coffee and a chat.
On 30 November 2013, at the age of 64, he lost his battle with cancer. Sadly, I never had the chance to dance with him.
J-P, this one’s for you. Merci beaucoup.