Laurie Hill, a teacher and coach, passed away on December 31st, 2016 after a long illness.
Laurie was a well respected inline hockey coach for the New Plymouth Ravens, Central Region and New Zealand (IHNZ).
Laurie was a dedicated, skilled and intuitive coach and active inline hockey club member before his illness. He continued to visit the rink when he was able to catch up with players and friends.
Laurie suffered from a very rare disorder affecting his 20 year career as a teacher and school principal. By 2009 Laurie had to give up teaching. He was unable to continue his sporting interests and became a staunch advocate seeking government intervention for treatment of non funded medication for rare disorders.
Laurie gained his Masters in Counselling with a passion for Narrative Therapy and worked as a Domestic Violence Counsellor.
Laurie faced many challenges as his disease progressed, he attended an international conference with other sufferers in Germany learning of treatment developments but unable to access these in New Zealand.
Laurie is survived by his partner, Paula and children, Carlin, Jayden and Laura.
Our thoughts are with Laurie’s family and friends at this time.