Staff and students of Ashley Hill School, in Onchan, are remembering the life of one of their best loved teaching assistants, Louise Barber.
Louise was 31 when she passed away in 2014 after a battle with sarcoma cancer, a rare but aggressive disease.
Senior education support officer Ann Isaac said: ‘Louise was very well respected by staff and pupils and it was agreed that a memorial garden would be created where Louise’s memory could live on and where colleagues and pupils could go and remember her.’
The garden, designed by Peter Webb, was named ‘Louise’s Purple Patch’ because this was her favourite colour.
It was created with the support of local businesses Jewson Isle of Man and Land-Tec, Ken Faragher, who donated the plants, and the students and their families.
And it will be down to key stage one pupils (ages five to seven) to maintain.
The Purple Patch was officially opened by Louise’s widower Chris Barber and Louise’s sister, Sophie Moore.
Ann said staff and colleagues at Ashley Hill continue to support Hospice Isle of Man events to raise money and keep Louise’s memory alive.
Louise was involved in her community all her life, especially through sports.
She attended Rushen School and then Castle Rushen High School.
When Louise left Castle Rushen, she joined the Port Erin Dental Surgery team as a dental nurse and worked there for two years.
Deciding she wanted to work with children Louise went to the University College Isle of Man to do her CACHE Diploma in Childcare and Education.
Soon after Louise took up a position at Ashley Hill where her talented and caring approach made a huge impact on the lives and education journey of many young children there.
Louise twirled with the Rushen Twirlers from the age of four and had been a trainer for 10 years.
In February 2011, Louise married love of her life Chris and they had two children together; Oliver Henry, born July 6, 2012, and Benjamin William, born March 16, 2014.