THE head teacher of Rushen Primary School has paid tribute to a former colleague who died on Boxing Day.

Tom Thomson said Patricia (Ann) Molyneux's passing, at the age of 61, was a "great loss".

Ann Molyneux began working as the deputy head teacher of Rushen Infant School in 1978 before becoming the head of infants when the school amalgamated with Rushen Junior School to become a primary school.

She became deputy head teacher once again when Roger Haynes, the deputy head of the newly formed Rushen Primary School, retired in 1999 and held this position until ill health forced her to retire in 2009.

Speaking about his former colleague Mr Thomson said: "Ann was devoted to her job and the children that she taught - she particularly loved to teach reception children and over the years hundreds of children had the most fantastic start to their school lives in Ann's class. 

"She took an interest in every single child and cared for them in every way looking after their needs and encouraging them to achieve the very best.

"In school Ann was an excellent deputy head teacher, working with two head teachers, over the years to ensure

"She took a close personal interest in all their lives - she also looked after the staff who worked in the school and they all knew she was someone they could speak to whenever the need arose."

Mr Thomson credited the former teacher for helping to make Christmas special for the children in the school by writing and producing plays and by making costumes.

She also spent time, out of hours, teaching children to play the recorder and to dance.

Mr Thomson continued: "Ann was a caring person in every sense of the word and in years following the death of her beloved husband, John, she took a very special interest in supporting the needs of children who had been bereaved. 

"Her kind and gentle nature and understanding of bereavement provided comfort to many children who found themselves having to deal with this difficult aspect of life. 

"Ann trained and developed her expertise in helping people facing bereavement as a volunteer councillor at the Hospice. Throughout her own illness Ann retained her wonderful sense of humour and through it supported others around her in their battles with terminal illnesses."

He concluded: "Many parents and children and others in the community particularly in the south of the Island will miss Ann very much. They will all remember her caring ways and many will also remember the laughs she gave to children when she played a very naughty child in school assemblies from time to time!

"Her passing is a great loss."