Tributes have been paid to a beloved teacher from Northern Ireland who was described as "beautiful inside and out".
Marie McGuckin, a teacher at St Patrick's College, Maghera, died surrounded by her family at home on Friday, May 13, following an illness.
Her passing has broken the hearts of the community she taught in with tributes saying that she was a "wonderful woman" who will "never be forgotten".
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She has left behind her husband Patrick and children Michael and Catherine.
St Patrick's College paid tribute to the school's head of geography saying: "The College this afternoon learned with deep regret the death of Mrs Marie McGuckin - Head of Geography, esteemed colleague and friend.
"We offer our sincere condolences to her husband, Paddy, her children Michael and Catherine and the wider McGuckin and McCormack families. She will be very sorely missed by staff and pupils. We are heartbroken. May she rest in peace. St Patrick, pray for her."
School principal Brenda Mussen said: "We have lost our wonderful Head of Geography Mrs Marie McGuckin. Beautiful inside and out, she will leave a big gap in our lives and all the lives of the pupils that she inspired every day of her career. May her gentle soul rest in peace."
Edendork GAC said that Marie was a devoted mother and a teacher who will be sorely missed, with her passing bringing much sadness to the community and club.
It said: "As a Club and a Community we are at our best when we are together. We share the good times, births, weddings, we meet at the school, at mass, we meet at training, at matches, some we win, some we nearly win. We come together too when times are bad, when things are tough and when some of us are in trouble. We are together this evening. We are together in grief, in sadness, in sympathy and in our thoughts and in our prayers.
"Marie McGuckin passed away today at lunchtime. She was at home thank God, surrounded by her loving family.
"We offer to her beloved husband Patrick and her darling children Michael and Catherine our most sincere and heartfelt condolences.
"To Marie's parents Colm and Mary, to her sisters Catherine, Siobhan, Elaine and Roisin as well her brother Eugene, her nieces and nephews, we tender our deepest sympathies.
"The loss of Marie will be felt sorely by Mick and Marguerite and we assure them that they will have our full support and be in our thoughts and prayers in the time ahead.
"To Glennis, Cathy, Brian, John, Joe and Karl and their families, we offer to them our support and condolences.
"Marie was a lovely caring girl. She was modest and humble. She was unwavering in her support for Paddy during his own illness. Above all she was a devoted Mother. As a teacher in St Patrick's Maghera, Marie was hugely respected. She will be sorely missed by the teachers there as well as the pupils and her form class in particular who she was still in contact with. Marie bore her illness with incredible strength. Towards the end her thoughts were only of her husband and her children as well as her family and how she could help them deal with the time ahead.
"Marie was a friend to many of us. Some of us never met her. That doesn't matter. Tonight, together, we are all thinking of Marie and her family.
"A Naomh Maolmhaodhóg guigh uirthi."
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