Attended by past and present staff members as well as students and their families, the dedication remembered Margaret not only as a much-loved school secretary but also a confidante and friend.

During the dedication, the Christensen family presented the school with a stone seat to serve as a reminder of the vital role Margaret played in the day-to-day life of the school.

The memorial seat has been placed in St Patrick’s sacred space among the names of the school’s pioneers to serve as a reflection of Margaret’s loving and peaceful nature.

Margaret will be remembered as someone who was always on hand to reassure and seek solutions. She never became overwhelmed or flustered but always maintained her positive demeanour. She also lifted spirits and lightened the mood with her infectious laugh.

“Put simply, Margaret was the matriarch of St Patrick’s,” said Principal of St Patrick’s, Peter Green.

“She was the first person to greet visitors to the school. She was the face and voice of St Patrick’s. She was the wise person of the village. She was also the keeper of stories. She was the single embodiment of Yoda, Google and a Saint.”

Serving under six different principals and six different parish priests, Margaret was well known to many families within the school. She was always thrilled to see the faces of former students when they returned to enrol their own children.

Receiving a Monsignor Coolahan Award for Excellence in School Support upon her retirement, Margaret was an efficient multi-tasker, extremely well organised and possessed time management skills that were second to none.

A critical component of the efficient running of St Patrick’s, Margaret always remembered names and faces and was a great source of counsel and wisdom for many in the school community.

“This school would not be the school it is today without her insight and her forward thinking,” said Peter.

“St Patrick’s, Swansea, stands on the shoulders of giants. Margaret is one of those giants. We owe her a great debt of gratitude.”