Tributes for Gympie real estate stalwart Jason Margetts after death

Real estate manager Jason Margetts is being remembered for his ability to “mix with anyone”, including in some community work many never knew about, after his death at age 36 following a short battle with illness.

Real estate manager Jason Margetts is being remembered for his ability to “mix with anyone”, including in some community work many never knew about, after his death at age 36 following a short battle with illness. Picture: Christine Schindler

An extraordinary smile and an ability to “mix with anyone” are how long-time Gympie region real estate manager Jason Margetts is being remembered following his death after a short illness.

Ann-Maree Margetts said her son, who was a fixture at several agencies across the region, was “quick as a whip” and ahead of the curve growing up, having set up one of her offices when he was still a teenager.

It was a “life too short but full of laughter”, she said on social media.

Jason died Tuesday, May 21, aged 36.

He was born in Brisbane, the younger brother of Liam and Jackie, and moved with the family to Federal, south of Gympie, when he was one year old.

Branka Starcevic, Jason Margetts and Cherie Carlson at the Gympie Muster Races on Saturday, August 19, 2023. Picture: Christine Schindler

Ann-Maree said her son attended school on days he was unable to go to preschool, “and cried if he wasn’t allowed”.

She said the Year 1 teacher at Federal State School, where Jason went to primary school, said she would call if he had enough.

“But I never got a call,” Ann-Maree said.

He moved on to Cooroora High School for Years 8-10, before doing 11 and 12 at Cooroy State High School.

At age 13 he created the business name “Margosoft” so he could bill one of his teachers for setting his computers for private lessons.

University was next on the list, Ann-Maree said, where Jason “thought it was the best time of his social life, ever”, and managed to change courses at least three times.

Ann-Maree soon told him he needed to get a job, and the rest was history.

Jason Margetts spent more than a decade in the real estate industry, working at offices based in Pomona, Gympie (Harcourts), Brisbane (Ray White), and then back to Gympie where he became a fixture at Gympie Regional Realty.

Jason spent more than a decade in the real estate industry, working at offices based in Pomona, Gympie (Harcourts), Brisbane (Ray White), and then back to Gympie where he became a fixture at Gympie Regional Realty and then Marg Cochrane Real Estate.

Ann-Maree said he was jack-of-all-trades as an office and property manager, with sales the only part of the business he never handled.

Ann-Maree said he would have written thousands of contracts for clients throughout the years.

Jason enjoyed photography and taking travelling overseas with his mates including to Finland, Europe and Bali, his mother Ann-Maree said.

Outside of his career, she said Jason enjoyed photography and taking travelling overseas with his mates including to Finland, Europe and Bali.

There was a lot he did the community never heard about, too.

He was a volunteer with the Cooroy Women’s Crisis Centre and aided people who found themselves living on the street.

Jason also helped care for his friends’ mothers while they were living alone, including calling “once or twice a week” until they died.

“He just had the ability to mix with anyone,” Ann-Maree said.

“Everyone just immediately liked him.”

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His funeral is being held on Thursday, May 30, at the Gympie Funeral Home Chapel at Brisbane Rd, near the Lake Alford duck ponds.

The service starts at 10am.