Inspirational headteacher the late Mrs Sarah Welch
Sarah Pauline Welch, a much-loved and hugely popular headteacher at Sacred Heart RC Primary School, in Church, Accrington, died peacefully at home of a heart attack, leaving her two children Jonathan (22) and Rachel (20), along with her mother Pamela Cartwright, wife of the late John Hans, and her brothers and sisters Joanna, Sophie, John-Paul, Jessica, Patrick and Sean.
Her untimely death has stunned and shocked pupils, colleagues and the education world in East Lancashire.
Her heartbroken family say she leaves a legacy of love and care that has touched the lives of the children she taught during a vibrant and passionate career.