Jesper Sander Pedersen
26 August 1961 – May 2023 · Club President
The club's long-time president Jesper Sander Pedersen passed away in May 2023, at the age of 61, after being hospitalised with a serious illness. One of the first international journalists to work for the foreign-language media on the Costa del Sol, Jesper was especially known for his passionate commitment to a liberal media and the integration of foreign nationalities into Costa del Sol life. He dedicated much of his personal and professional time tirelessly making people feel welcome, always with a smile and a genuine interest in their diverse backgrounds and stories.
Members fondly remember many pleasant dinner-meetings with Jesper, especially Christmas feasts at the Club Danés in Mijas, where he had the opportunity to share his native Danish culture with infectious good humour and in the best spirit of international communication and cooperation.
An obituary in Sur in English noted that Jesper was born on 26 August 1961 in Hellerup (Copenhagen). He studied at the journalism college in Aarhus and, after moving to the Costa del Sol in 1986, worked as a freelance journalist for Scandinavian media, including Scanposten and Solkysten magazines and Radio Solymar. He met his Spanish wife Rocío in Rincón de la Victoria, and they married in 1987, had one child (son Jakob), and lived for several years in Fuengirola before moving to Torremolinos. Towards the latter years of his professional life, Jesper became a tour guide for leading Danish travel companies before setting up his own assistance and advisory service to help Danish people deal with Spanish bureaucracy, documentation and official applications.
