Much-loved Hall Orchard teacher, Garry Kneafsey, died suddenly while playing football in March 2025. He’d been a teacher at Hall Orchard for 12 years and he and his wife, Kirstie, moved to Barrow six years ago.

Garry had taught most year groups in the school and was loved for being a really kind, immersive teacher. He loved creating an environment in the classroom to help bring alive what he was teaching.

He would create an underwater scene with blue paper on the ceiling and paper octopuses dangling around the children. Sometimes he would spray a scent in the classroom for the children as they walked in and this related to what he was going to teach that session. He was a great Harry Potter fan and often brought elements of that into his teaching, making learning fun and active. But he was a humble person and didn’t brag about what he did.

He and Kirstie met at Hall Orchard when they were both new teachers to the school. They went on courses together and shared their mentoring sessions (supported by Andy Northcote-Smith, their mentor). Kirstie said that everyone in the school ‘knew’ about their relationship before they did and the children and staff, alike, were not surprised when they announced their wedding intentions. Most of the staff were guests. Their daughter, Nova, was born in April 2022. As a dad, he was very gentle and had a beautiful bond with Nova – who still talks about Daddy. As a husband, he was a great romantic, constantly making both big and little gestures – he proposed to Kirstie on a gondola during a holiday in Venice. They didn’t have much of a honeymoon. They had planned a trip to Disneyworld Florida but that was cancelled because they married during Covid. Now Kirstie is planning a trip for her and Nova when it’s Nova’s 4th birthday in March. It will be hard but Kirstie is determined to keep happy memories for Nova.

He had a particularly close bond with his mother, Yvonne, and sister Jen. They were a solid family and Yvonne and Jen have been a constant source of support for Kirstie over the last year along with Garry’s best friend in Barrow, Ben Garner.

Garry became the union representative at the school and was very protective about the people he represented. He’d often bring his work home with him and take hours to find ways to help.

The school put on a public display of their love and respect for Garry when they decorated the tree outside the school’s reception, but a less public display of support came with a whole wall of the assembly hall being decorated in his honour. And on a very personal note, Kirstie is absolutely thrilled with the book of letters and photos his colleagues put together for her to look at with Nova so the two of them can keep his memory alive together. She is really grateful for all the support she has received from the Hall Orchard School Family. Where the tree once stood, a memorial garden is currently under construction - for Garry but also for anyone who wants to sit quietly and remember someone special. Volunteers (adult and children) are needed to help create this garden so if you would like to get involved, please contact the school at the email address below.

And where does the ninja come in? Not many of Garry’s pupils will know this, but Garry was an avid Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan - his favourite being Michaelangelo.

If you have time to help with the Hall Orchard Memorial Garden, please email the school on: reception@hall-orchard.leics.sch.uk

Karisa Krcmar