Marshall Jansen, a keen refereeing man, died in Oudtshoorn on Friday, 17 June 2010. He had had health problems for some time.

Jansen, who was only 56, had had diabetic and blood pressure problems. He suffered a stroke in April, recovered and then was killed by a second stroke and a heart attack at his home.

In his younger days Jansen played rugby in Mossel Bay but it was in refereeing that he made his mark. He refereed SA Cup matches, including some in South West Africa, as Namibia then was, when he was teaching there.

afteR his active days Jansen did much work as an assessor and as a television match official. At the time of his death he was the vice-chairman of Sounth Western Districts referees' Society. When the World Under-21 Championship was in Sydney, Jansen went as an assessor.

Uzendt Marshall Jansen, always known as Marshall, was born in Oudtshoorn on 21 April 1945. He trained as schoolmaster, first at Hewat Training College and then at Oudtshoorn Training College. When  he was a Hewat he was involved in the Tygerberg Rugby Union. At the time of his death he was on sick leave from PJ Badenhorst Primary School.

Jansen is survived by his wife Marion and his two children, son Mario and married daughter Marcheline.