A MAN who jumped from Brisbane's Story Bridge with his two-year-old son in his arms was suffering from a relationship breakdown.

As tributes poured in for respected Churchie teacher Jason Lees and his son Brad, The Courier-Mail has learned Mr Lees was struggling after problems between him and wife Danielle.

While Mr Lees' devastated family has been reluctant to talk about his troubled final weeks, a neighbour recounted a heart-wrenching day when the little boy hugged his dad as he sat crying on the back steps of the family home.

The bridge incident, which occurred in the early hours of Monday morning, is being treated by police as a murder-suicide.

Marlene Stephens, who lives next door to the Lees' home, said she remembered seeing Mr Lees "crying on the back stairs" last year.

"I remember the little boy came down and wrapped his arms around him - I'm always going to remember that image," she said.

"Life's cruel. Only he knows why he did it. He was a lovely guy, a nice guy - you could tell."

Ms Stephens said she heard doors opening and shutting at the home about 2.30am but didn't think anything of it.

She remembered always giving little Brad a wave.

"It was always so lovely to hear them laugh. He was a beautiful kid," she said.

Wife Danielle, a psychologist from the Gold Coast, was unable to be contacted by The Courier-Mail and her family declined to comment.

The couple met after Mr Lees moved from Canada about 15 years ago.

Jason Lees' brother Bill told the Ottawa Sun newspaper the family had visited Canada in July 2010 when he met his nephew for the first time.

Jason Lees was a successful international rugby sevens referee and took a leave of absence in 2010 to return to Canada to officiate the game there and spend more time with his family.

"That was the last time I saw them," Bill told the newspaper.

One rugby friend said: "He loved his little son - he was the apple of his eye."

Former students of the prestigious The Southport School on the Gold Coast, where Mr Lees taught before transferring to Brisbane's Anglican Church Grammar, said they could not believe the man who had nurtured them during their school days could do such a thing.

"Everyone's just in shock," said former TSS drama captain Mitch Lambert, who was taught by Mr Lees in Year 6.

"He just seemed like such a positive guy. We all loved him."

Mr Lees will likely be farewelled in a funeral service at Churchie, where he is remembered as an "outstanding" and loved teacher.

Churchie principal Jonathan Hensman yesterday said there had been no indication Mr Lees had been struggling with personal issues before his death.

Yesterday, floral tributes were left in the park where Mr Lees jumped from the Story Bridge holding Brad in his arms.

A bunch of white lilies were left under a tree with a card labelled "In loving memory of a loving teacher".

* additional reporting Kris Crane and Brooke Baskin

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Originally published as Despair ends in tears and tributes