Vale Leo Berry

The Victorian Amateur Football Association offers its deepest sympathies and condolences to Big V U23’s assistant coach Brad Berry and his family as they mourn the passing of Brad’s father, Leo Berry.

Berry Sr was a Richmond boxing coach who offered the haven of his gym to the underprivileged, as well as a number of VAFA clubs undertaking preseason training.

Excerpt from Herald Sun journalist Jon Anderson:

“Melbourne lost an icon yesterday with the death of Richmond boxing coach and champion of the underprivileged, Leo Berry.

Berry, 89, died the same day his legendary gymnasium was announced as part of a package that will form a new secondary school, a State Government initiative behind the Richmond Town Hall.

“Half of the homeless kids in Richmond spent time in Leo’s gym, plus world champions Jeff Fenech and Jeff Harding, footballers like Jim Stynes and Denis Banks, politicians, knockabouts, lawyers and larrikins, anyone, just as long as they respected Leo and the gym,” Berry’s nephew Leo McDonald said.”