Hundreds gather for Lois Dear memorial

Lois Dear

Around 700 people gathered for murdered teacher Lois Dear's memorial service in Tokoroa today.

A busload of schoolchildren arrived shortly before the service at the town's packed Episcopal Church where there were tributes, cards and letters on display from around the country.

One girl wrote: "She was nice and kind. She was a supportive person. She loved to dance and sing songs with us."

In another message, a boy simply said: "I cried because Miss Dear died."

Her family, school principal Murray Kendrick and an ex-student gave tributes during the service.

Mr Kendrick spoke of Ms Dear's love and dedication to teaching and said she was a beautiful soul who would never be forgotten.

Ex-student Mike Harris has only fond memories of his former teacher and said he would never forget the nickname she had given him: "Mike the Spike, because I always had spiky hair."

"My funniest memory of Miss Dear was when she would dance around the classroom to her favourite country and western music," he recalled.

At the end of the service, which ran for just over an hour, schoolchildren released 300 silver, white and orange balloons into the air to symbolise the monarch butterflies Ms Dear loved.

Family members had earlier today visited the classroom at Strathmore School where Ms Dear's body was found on July 16.

Her brother Harley Dear said: "Obviously it was emotional. However, what was really good for us was we saw how happy the room is and the happiness is still there.

"The happiness and courage that is there has overcome the grief."

He said the memorial service was the start of the healing process.

Teacher Lisa Jones, who arranged the memorial, said it had "all come together beautifully".

She added: "This will be a bit of closure for a lot of people."