Jean-Marie Gert Huissemans – Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt panel

Quilt panel, part of Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt, in memory of 'Jean-Marie Gert Huissemans' (John), cotton / ink / synthetic textile, made by William Stanbridge, Queensland, Australia, 1995 Rectangular quilt panel, landscape orientation. The background is the Belgian flag (black, yellow and red vertical stripes). In the left hand black stripe, there is a map of Belgium, showing Mons, Quemes, and Brussels, appliqued in red, blue and yellow cotton. Paris and Ramstein in Germany are also shown. The poem 'Togetherness' (Death is nothing at all ....) written by Harry Scott Holland, 1847 - 1918, Canon of St Paul's Cathedral is printed and appliqued on to the black stripe. In the centre yellow stripe there is a fabric photo of John Huissemans with a biography of him printed and appliqued below. Between the yellow and red stripes there is another fabric photo of John Huissemans and a map of Australia appliiqued in red, blue and yellow cotton. This map shows Sydney, Brisbane and Nambour. The poem 'Miss me but let me go' by author unknown is also printed then appliqued on the red stripe. This quilt is in memory of Jean-Marie Gert Huissemans (John) (b 28/11/1941 d 30/7/1995). His biographical details appear on the quilt. John was born in Quemes, Belgium and was orphaned when he was quite young. He joined the Belgian Air Force. He married in Paris and had two children. He worked for NATO in Ramstein, Germany in the 1970's. He came to Australia for a year in 1979, returned to Belgium and then came back to live in Australia. He and his wife divorced. He lived in Sydney and then moved to the Sunshine Coast. He discovered he was gay and then that he had AIDS in 1984. He lived the last four years of his life with his partner, William Stanbridge.