Layne Visser: Barrenjoey High music teacher died from undiagnosed heart condition
Family, friends and students are being invited to pay their respects to a well-loved northern beaches school teacher — who once taught famed musos Angus and Julia Stone — at an upcoming gathering.
Manly
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The widow of popular music teacher Layne Visser, who died suddenly last week, says a doctor told him the week before he was a “healthy, young man”.
Michaela Visser, 51, of Avalon, said her husband, 49, died peacefully from an undiagnosed heart condition during the night.
“The week before his doctor told him, ‘You are a healthy, young man’,” Mrs Visser said.
“A week later he had died.
“He was not even 50.
“He did everything right.
“We worked really hard to keep his weight down. He did not smoke or drink and we had his heart checked.
“It was an undiagnosed heart condition.
“It’s one of those tragic things.
“His spirit was not ready to leave us, but his body just gave out.”
Mr Visser’s funeral on Friday is for invited family and friends only due to COVID-19 restrictions.
However, all those who want to pay their respects can pop into Avalon Bowling Club anytime from 2.30pm until closing on Friday.
The venue is allowed 150 people across its indoor and outdoor space and it is hoped people will come and go throughout the afternoon and evening to allow everyone a chance to say goodbye.
Mrs Visser, said her husband who she met 14 years ago, went to school at Pittwater High and was a music teacher at Barrenjoey High for 23 years.
She said he was “kind and gentle and very funny” and with naughty children he would prank them and make them laugh at themselves.
She said in 2005 he was given the Premier’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
She said he inspired many students to pursue a career in music, some with incredible success including Angus and Julia Stone, a guitarist who has recorded with Rihanna and Elton John and some other former pupils who have gone on to work for Disney.
She said she had received many cards, letters and emails from his students who had written to say how Mr Visser had made a huge impact on them.
“He managed to create a huge legacy of students who have gone into the music industry,” Mrs Visser said.
“He inspired lots of kids to follow their dreams.”
Mrs Visser said she was a single parent of two boys Harry and Jerome when she met her husband-to-be.
She was looking for a music teacher for one of her sons and just picked his name off a list.
“It was very romantic really,” Mrs Visser said.
“I noticed what a wonderful teacher he was and we had music in common.
“He was trying to impress me about all the bands he had played in – I was quietly impressed.
“James Morrison had even signed his trombone case.
“He showed me that in the first lesson. I quietly went ‘Oh wow’, because I play the trumpet.”
Mrs Visser said their chats after her son’s lesson got longer and longer before they started dating.
They married 12 years ago.
“I’ve got two children from a previous marriage and Layne really was very generous hearted,” she said.
“He raised my kids as his own.
“He was an amazing, wonderful father.
“He had really great values and both of my sons, thanks to Layne’s role in their lives have become high-achieving young men and really fine young men.”
Mr Visser was also the front man of the Village Big Band. He sang as well as played the trombone.
Mrs Visser said many musos will be at the bowling club on Friday with their instruments and there would be plenty of music being played to celebrate his life.