Friends and family have so far raised nearly £3,000 for the hospice which cared for one of UK Paraplanning's brightest stars, Gary Tunstall FPFS CFP^TM, 41, whose funeral took place last week.

Mr Tunstall, former head of Financial Planning at London-based Financial Planning firm Cavendish Medical, died recently after a courageous two year battle against stomach cancer. Because he was not a great fan of cut flowers, friends and family say they decided to ask for donations to help the St Michael's Hospice at Hornbeam Park, Harrogate, where Mr Tunstall was cared for in his last few weeks.

On his Just Giving page partner Tina Gellie said: "Gary's wish was for donations, however small, for Saint Michael's Hospice because he couldn't praise their kindness and care enough." So far (as of 29 August) just over £2,700 has been raised.

Other industry colleagues have left tributes on Just Giving to Mr Tunstall including leading Financial Planner Ruth Sturkey of The Red House who said: "I recruited and worked with Gary about 12 years ago...loved his droll sense if humour and that he was bloody good at what he did. So sorry you have lost him so soon. Thinking of you all x."

Another leading Financial Planner, Andrew Brook Dobson of Brook Dobson Brear, wrote: "Very sad to hear of Gary's passing. The thoughts of all of us at BDB are with you all (Tina, Fiona, Fraser, Alice and the rest of the friends and families) at this time. Very best wishes."

The JustGiving page dedicated to raising funds for the hospice is at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/garytunstall

Mr Tunstall had a long and impressive career in Paraplanning and Financial Planning, winning a number of awards including Paraplanner of the Year in 2011. At Cavendish Medical, a specialist firm which helps doctors and medical professionals, he was the firm’s first ever head of Financial Planning.

He was known for his wit, dry sense of humour, enthusiasm for Paraplanning and helping colleagues. For his funeral he requested that guests should not be sad and could wear hoodies and trainers, some of his favourite clothes. His funeral took take place in Harrogate last week where he spent his last 25 days at a local hospice near his family and friends.

Read a full tribute to Gary Tunstall here http://bit.ly/2wFryDo

Prior to working for Cavendish, he worked at Cathi Harrison’s Para-Sols, an outsourced Paraplanning business based in Darlington. He was instrumental in helping the company grow rapidly and staff there have renamed their rest area the ‘Tunstall Arms’ in his honour.

At Cavendish Medical Mr Tunstall’s was widely likely and respected. He went on extended medical leave at the end of 2016 and colleagues held a ‘Gary Day’ when he left to thank him for his contribution to the company and to wish him well, not knowing if he would return.  

Edward Bushnell, director of Cavendish Medical and a friend and colleague of Mr Tunstall’s, said: “The office was always louder when he was around, he was a talker and had plenty to talk about – on occasion something relevant to financial services – and he was always concerned with the best interest of clients as well as his team. Since the onset of his illness he had been sorely missed.”

Mr Tunstall joined Para-Sols in February 2012 and founder Cathi Harrison FPFS counted him as a personal friend as well as an invaluable colleague.

She said: “We met initially when we were both Paraplanners at a firm in Harrogate, where he took me under his wing, showed me the reports and helped me greatly develop my Paraplanning skills. His dry sense of humour and unique way of looking at the world meant we also became friends outside of the office."

Mr Tunstall leaves a partner Tina, ex-wife Fiona and two children, Fraser, 10, and Alice, 8.