TRIBUTES will be paid to a much-loved Ovingham school teacher following her death at the age of 72.

Marian Gilmore worked at Ovingham Middle School for 29 years until her retirement in 2004.

Born in Chesterfield, Marian lived in Bolsover in Derbyshire and married her husband Graeme in 1967 – 18 months after they met when they were both studying in Sheffield.

She taught for a year in Chesterfield before they bought a house in Prudhoe after marrying, and Marian spent around three years teaching at Chapel House Junior School, which was then in Northumberland.

After having some time off to have their children Andrew and Paul, she then took up her beloved job at Ovingham Middle School when it opened in 1975, where she was head of Year 5 and a member of the senior management team.

Marian and Graeme lived at addresses in Prudhoe, Wylam and Hexham during their 48 years living in Tynedale.

Graeme, also a teacher who taught at Prudhoe High School for 34 years, founded Prudhoe Community Choir in 1994 and Marian was one of the founding members of the group.

A keen singer for her whole life, Marian was also a regular fixture at Ovingham Middle School Christmas productions where she was usually found playing the piano.

“She was a wonderful singer. She sang solos and duets in Prudhoe Community Choir,” said Graeme.

“Whenever we had choir committee meetings at our house she would make cheese scones and some members – the single fellas – would go home with a big bag of cheese scones, she’d never let anyone go without. She was a wonderful cook.”

When Marian retired from teaching in 2004, the couple handed over Prudhoe Community Choir to new hands to allow themselves more time for family, hobbies and travelling.

During their golden wedding anniversary celebrations in July, the couple worked out that they had travelled to an impressive 38 countries during their married life.

They moved back to Derbyshire to be close to Marian’s family in December 2015 after she had been suffering with arthritis.

Marian passed away at Chesterfield Royal Hospital in Derbyshire on November 1 following a short illness.

Graeme added: “She adored craft work and had the most amazing scrapbook.

“The work she did was stunning; she was so, so gifted artistically. She used to do tapestry as well and it’s right around our house. She’ll never be gone from the house because of the tapestries from all over – from places like from Derbyshire, Hexham and France.

“For a lot of people who knew Marian, that would be what they’d remember her by; that and her wonderful cooking. The world is going to miss her.”

Marian leaves Graeme, her two sons Andrew and Paul and granddaughters Emma (9) and Rachel (7).

Her funeral will be held at Bolsover Parish Church in Chesterfield on Monday, November 20 at 9.40am.

Friends, colleagues, neighbours and past pupils of Marian’s are invited to a gathering of remembrance to be held at Wylam Methodist Church at 11.30am to coincide with the funeral.

And friends of Marian’s are holding a third service of remembrance at Périgueux Cathedral in France, where Marian had made life-long friends with some friends of Graeme’s from childhood.