Tributes paid to “warm, caring and respected” teacher

Tributes have been paid to a design technology teacher who passed away after a short battle with sepsis.

Blackwood Comprehensive School teacher Gemma Morgan died at the Royal Gwent Hospital on August 4, aged just 46.

Mrs Morgan, who was subject leader for design technology, had taught at the school for 23 years.

In a Facebook post, the school said it was “devastated” by Mrs Morgan’s passing and described her as a “warm, caring and respected teacher, friend and colleague who will be greatly missed by our school community”.

Tributes were left to Mrs Morgan in the comments section.

Leigh Woodland commented: “I’m so sad reading this, I worked alongside Gemma for few years when I was a nursery nurse at the school. She was a lovely lady.”

Trace Llewellyn commented: “Such sad news, I’ve been told by my two that she was a lovely teacher, they had only good things to say about her. Life is incredibly unfair. Thinking of her family and friends.”

Helen Owen commented: “When my son was getting bullied this lady was a shining star to him.”

Mrs Morgan leaves behind husband Simon, daughters Lauren-Grace and Emily, and son Ewan.

An online fundraising page has been set up by friends of Mrs Morgan to help raise money for her funeral.

On the fundraising page, Mrs Morgan was described as a teacher who “taught, supported and nurtured her students as if they were her own children, and always made them aim for success”.

She was also described as “the life and soul of the party” and someone who “put her family and friends’ needs before her own and was always ready to help in any way she possibly could.”

“She will be greatly missed by family, friends, colleagues and students as her smile, bubbly personality and sense of humour lit up a room.”

To make a donation, visit obv.sr/gemma