Farewell to Jim 

Image: Jim in his later years, with a gift for speaking at ease. 

Jim Juno, a stalwart of the civil construction industry, died suddenly on July 19 at the age of 70 while on a cruise in the US with family and friends, after fulfilling a life-long wish of seeing the Panama Canal.

His company, Juno Civil, operated in the Wellington region for around 45 years. Jim was a long-standing member of the Crane Association and also served for many years on the executive of the Contractors’ Federation (now Civil Contractors NZ), as well as serving for more than 10 years on the board of Contrafed, the company that publishes this magazine.

“I remember him fondly from my time as managing editor of Contrafed,” says Mary Searle Bell.

“He was particularly affable and enthusiastic, and always keen to chat to me and my team after board meetings, or at the various conferences – whether it be about the magazine, projects he had on the go, or something totally unrelated to work.” 

Crane Association President Deane Manley says: “Our industry has lost one of life’s gentlemen with the sudden passing of Jim Juno. 

“Jim was involved as a member of the Power Crane Association going back to at least the early 1980s. He served several terms as a council member over three decades and for many years as a judge of the UDC Project of the Year awards, including this year as he was trying to pack for what was to be his last journey.

“Personally, I would probably not have been involved in the crane industry if it wasn’t for Jim who encouraged me to tag along and took me under his wing at my first PCA conference in 1993. Together with his soulmate Belinda, they have been role models, mentors, free time-givers, and good mates to literally everyone they came across. 

“I fondly regret tarnishing Jim’s impeccable reputation by dragging him away from the formal proceedings at the Contractors’ Federation’s 50th Conference to go ballroom dancing with June Margan and Digger Miles at the Duke of Marlborough.  

“At our own 50th conference this year, Jim was suggested for a Life Membership but, because he couldn’t be there, we parked it until he could be. This is a very sad regret and reminder that life is too short and people like Jim are too few and far between. 

“Belinda, Rachel, and Wayne, on behalf of all of us at CANZ, our deepest condolences for your loss. RIP Jimmy.”

John Carter, who was General Manager of Titan Cranes before he retired, has many fond memories of Jim: “He and Belinda were great company,” he says. “And they were great to their staff – I believe he would have been a great man to work for. He was a great person to have around.

“I think the one disappointment for the crane industry is that he never got involved in the running of the Crane Association – he had the ability, a great attitude, and was a great leader.”

John says that although Juno Civil remained a small-time operator, Jim was still as enthusiastic as the big guys.

“Jim maintained his business at a level he could control and be successful – he was always level-headed and a clear thinker. I never saw him get rattled. He was a quiet operator and just got on and did things successfully.”

Jim’s contribution to the industry was through the Contractors’ Federation, where he served on its executive committee for seven or eight years, says long-time friend John Rowell.

“We went through the NZCF executive together, with Jim following on from my presidency. We met a lot of fine people through the federation and saw a lot of changes in the industry – some good, some bad.

“We had a lot of fun together, and he was always at our conferences.

“He was an outstanding engineer. He was mostly self-taught, although he did get his degree, and he could hold his own with the best of them.”

For his contribution to the Federation (CCNZ), Jim was awarded life membership.