‘She was universally loved’: Tributes flow for former St Mary’s prep teacher Brooke Marsay

‘I have been blessed to have met (her)’: Heartbroken friends and colleagues have honoured the former Warwick Prep teacher who tragically lost her cancer battle days after giving birth.

Tributes have poured in for former St Mary’s teacher Brooke Marsay, who tragically died just days after giving birth, following a shock cancer diagnosis during pregnancy.

Outpourings of love and support have flowed from the Warwick community after the tragic death of a beloved former St Mary’s Prep teacher.

Brooke Marsay (nee Walsh), 31, died in hospital in Brisbane last Tuesday only days after giving birth to her son Max, who sadly also died due to complications having been born at 27 weeks.

The Kawana Waters State College teacher was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer early in her second trimester and remained in hospital for the months before her death.

Brooke was a Prep teacher at St Mary’s Primary School in Warwick in 2012, and tributes to the beloved former member of the school community have flowed since news of her passing broke.

Brooke Marsay with husband Ryan during what he described as a “fairytale romance”.

St Mary’s teacher Kerri Shooter said she would always treasure the “very fond memories” of her dedicated colleague and friend.

“To coin a very apt phrase, ‘the true beauty of a person comes from the heart’ – that was Brooke,” she said.

“She greeted everyone with a smile and put others’ needs before her own.

“I have been blessed to have met such a genuine person and my heart goes out to her family.”

Almost a decade after her son Kye was a student in Brooke’s prep class, Warwick mum Katrina Lawler said the popular teacher’s kind nature was hard to forget.

“She was extremely caring and so loving to all the children. She made the kids feel safe and their first year at school a very happy one,” she said.

Fashions on the Field continental prize winners Brooke Walsh (runner-up) and winner Lisa Frappell at a Warwick race day in 2011. Picture: Warwick Daily News

“Very sorry for her family in the loss of such a beautiful lady.”

Former St Mary’s music teacher Erin Hilton remembered Brooke as an “absolutely stunning” person both inside and out.

“She was always just happy and smiling, and such a kind person who was just really all about the children and just loved the children,” Mrs Hilton said.

“I never heard Brooke say a bad word about anybody, she was just universally loved by the whole school community.

“You don’t forget somebody like that easily.”

Brooke’s husband Ryan told the Sunshine Coast Daily arrangements were being made for a funeral service on the Coast.

Originally published as ‘She was universally loved’: Tributes flow for former St Mary’s prep teacher Brooke Marsay