Jacob was Jan and Ingrid Snyman\u2019s only child together. The trio enjoyed an adventurous life sharing experiences such as sports and arts and travelling the world.<\/p>\n
Ingrid said she and Jan married later in life and really wanted a child together.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe felt so incredibly blessed when darling, precious Jacob, also known as Jakes or Jakey, entered our world.\u201d<\/p>\n
His childhood was spent enjoying family times, including board game nights with his parents and grandmother, who lived nearby.<\/p>\n
She had fond memories of their historic Lynmore home, which they spent years doing up. <\/p>\n
She estimated that over a decade, they hosted about 100 help exchange travellers from around the world who would stay with them to work on their home and gardens in exchange for food and rent.<\/p>\n
The Snymans – parents Ingrid and Jan and son Jacob – were a tight-knit and loving family. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
\u201cThis always made for a lot of interest and fun around the dinner table and Jacob got to interact with people from so many different countries.\u201d<\/p>\n
He enjoyed being their tour guide and showing them the sights of Rotorua.<\/p>\n
He and his father also built a deck and a consented treehouse, which Jacob ran as an Airbnb in later years.<\/p>\n
Ingrid said Jacob was a spirited boy who always made his parents laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was exuberant, curious, friendly and always happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
He loved John Paul College and all the opportunities it presented, such as science and engineering competition EPro8, art, football, futsal and the reading and maths competitions.<\/p>\n
The Snymans had a full and fun-filled life. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
He completed the Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award and, alongside being a prefect, was selected as a house captain.<\/p>\n
The family always enjoyed being together, either \u201changing out and chilling\u201d at home or more active things like mountain biking, kayaking or going on other adventures. <\/p>\n
\u201cJacob came home from uni every break, and we all loved spending that time together.\u201d<\/p>\n
He loved all sports and played soccer throughout his school and university years.<\/p>\n
He was studying engineering and was excited about his future. Always so grateful to his parents, Ingrid Snyman said he told her before getting cancer how he felt lucky with his life.<\/p>\n
Cancer diagnosis<\/p>\n
Jacob was diagnosed with tongue cancer in September last year and had surgery in Christchurch at the end of October.<\/p>\n
Jacob Snyman died on May 9 at the age of 21 after a courageous battle with cancer. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
By December, the cancer had come back and he was told in February that he only had weeks to live.<\/p>\n
Ingrid said her son was a \u201ctotal inspiration\u201d with his courage, determination, faith and resilience. <\/p>\n
Despite what he went through, she said her son never complained.<\/p>\n
She said they had been given immense support by those around them, including friends and medical staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have learned so much from Jacob about courage and hope and I think we will continue to learn from him and will endeavour to live up to his high standards as we go forward. And we have learnt that, in the end, there is only love.\u201d<\/p>\n
Friends pay tribute<\/p>\n
On Josh Richardson\u2019s first day attending a new school in Rotorua at the age of 9, Jacob went straight up to him and introduced himself. <\/p>\n
They hung out all day and Jacob asked Josh to go to his house after school to play.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was my first day at Lynmore Primary, so it tells you what sort of bloke he was.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jacob Snyman (left) with his best friend Josh Richardson. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
They remained tight friends until Josh moved to Auckland in 2019 for his remaining high school years.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven with distance, he always made an effort to keep in touch.\u201d<\/p>\n
When university days came along, the besties were reunited after choosing to study together at Canterbury University in Christchurch. <\/p>\n
They were accepted into the same residential hall for their first year and have been flatmates for the past two years.<\/p>\n
Josh described his friend as \u201cbeautiful\u201d to live with, always thoughtful and a great cook.<\/p>\n
He said losing Jacob in such a traumatic way was \u201cawful\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have never gone through anything like this before. Jacob was like my brother and we would do pretty much everything together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jacob Snyman (left) with his best friend Josh Richardson. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
He said there were a lot of good friends in Christchurch who had supported their flat and friend group.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been given meals, gift baskets and about 16 or 17 people will fly to Rotorua from Christchurch for his funeral to pay their respects, which shows what kind of an impact he had on people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Good friend George Crouch said they had been \u201cjoined at the hip\u201d since they were toddlers.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was the first friend I ever had. He was the kindest person, seriously, a heart of gold. He cared about everyone before himself. He was genuinely one of the good guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
George said he would never forget how brave Jacob was until the end.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is so cruel he\u2019s had to go through this at this age … When he told us he was terminally ill, he was the one who said \u2018don\u2019t give up too quickly\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jacob Snyman died on May 9 at the age of 21 after a courageous battle with cancer. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Family friend Jo Cheesman said her son, Sam, and Jacob had been great friends since they were babies.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been a privilege to know him his whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n
She described him as a mature, polite, grateful young man and someone who cared deeply for his friends and family.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was wise beyond his years … The world is poorer for losing him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jacob\u2019s funeral service is being held today at 1pm at the Novotel Lakeside Rotorua.<\/p>\n