Family members, friends and colleagues paid tribute to a loving mother, an inspirational teacher and a dedicated friend who would do anything for others after the passing of Brenda Mattingly. She was 62.

Mother of two and teacher for 30 years at Bermuda High School, Ms Mattingly, formerly Chandler, passed away following a brave battle with cancer on Thursday, December 22.

Her daughters Samantha Morrell and Ashley Kreuzer remembered their mother as someone who loved nature and who used her expertise as a geography teacher to nurture a deep love and understanding of the natural world.

Ms Morrell said: “She was a very outdoorsy person and Bermuda was the perfect place to grow up. Being a teacher she could leave work early and she would always dedicate that time to me and my sister.

“She would teach us how to swim, she would teach us the names of the animals and plants, we used to play on the rocks. Because she was a geographer we were in all the parks — it always amazes me how many people have not been to Bermuda’s national parks. We explored them all because of her — she really inspired us that way.

“She was also inspiring to her students and took time out of school if they needed help. She didn’t push people and she was able to see into them if they were having trouble at home — she was quite maternal like that.

“She was really genuine and if anybody asked her to help out she would do everything that she could, she would do her best.

“She used to say to us ‘you are going to be strong women, you are not going to be wimpy women — you don’t need a man to do anything — you can do anything you put your mind to’.”

Ms Kreuzer described many life lessons she learnt from her mother, including caring for others, the importance of family and being independent.

She recalled: “Through her example my mum taught me about sacrificial love — putting others first. Whenever she visited us in Canada she came ready to help and serve … all the rooms of our home have been painted by her.

“She would always send my husband and I out on date nights because she valued our marriage and encouraged us as a couple. She would also encourage us as parents with advice and giving her grandkids her undivided attention.

“I was blessed to grow up under the care of a mother who reserved judgment and sought to understand other people’s journeys and decisions.”

Later in life, Ms Mattingly married Jamie Sapsford who she was with for 11 years until her death. He said that while her main legacy was as an educator, she was an excellent matriarch to her own children and his own.

He said: “She was beautiful and was a very loving mother and grandmother both to her children, her grandchildren and my children as well.

“She made a positive impact in the lives of many students, not only nurturing a love for and a greater knowledge of geography, but also instilling a sense of self-worth, compassion, and confidence in all those she taught. I am receiving many tributes from teachers past and present, plus many ex-students saying she was their ‘favourite’ teacher at BHS.

“Brenda also touched the lives of many people outside the classroom, with her beauty, her support, and her friendship.”

Ms Mattingly, of St George’s, was born in Sydney, Australia, and raised in Singapore and Britain, graduating from the University of Sussex. Moving to Bermuda she was a geography teacher at Prospect Secondary School for Girls for nine years before moving over to BHS.

Her colleagues and friends at the school paid tribute to her professionalism and no-nonsense attitude.

BHS principal Linda Parker said: “Ms Mattingly was a loyal, hard-working and dedicated teacher who set high standards for herself and for her students. Although she had a great love for geography and the environment she had a greater love for each child in her class.

“She was student-centred, believed that every child had strengths and weaknesses and that it was her responsibility to celebrate these strengths and help to bolster up the areas that needed improving.

“Ms Mattingly, a strong and courageous female role model, was much loved and respected by all BHS stakeholders. Her death has left a large void in the BHS family but her legacy will continue to live on through the positive impact that she had on the lives of her students and colleagues.”

Her friend and colleague Kate Ross described Ms Mattingly as “a class act”. She said: “The kids loved her, she was a fabulous teacher. Geography is not an easy subject but we had tremendous success with our results — she raised the bar.

“She would put her hand to everything yet was very elegant — you wouldn’t expect to see an elegant lady on a roof painting.

“They [Jamie and Brenda] started [renovating] their house in St George’s and she would come in with great stories about how she almost got hit with a joist. She would just get on with it, knuckle down and do it. She was very down-to-earth and had a great sense of humour. We will miss her enormously.”

Ms Mattingly was wife to a husband Jamie; mother to Samantha Morrell and Ashley Kreuzer; a stepmother to Harley and Fae Sapsford; a beloved grandmother “Gigi” to Matthew, Emma, Isla and Adelaide; and sister to Sandie.