A LARGE congregation attended a Requiem Mass in Wrexham for a teacher described as “inspirational” and “caring”.

St Mary’s Cathedral was almost full with family members, friends and colleagues for the funeral of food technology specialist Lorraine McKeown who died on May 9 after a battle with cancer, aged 56.

The service lasted for more than an hour, with hymns I Watch The Sunrise, Abide With Me and Ave Maria sung by all.

During the eulogy her husband Damian paid tribute by saying: “She was kind, warm, funny and she was genuine.

“When she was 38 she opted to return to St Joseph’s and complete the educational circle as she had attended that school as a child.

The Leader:

Funeral of much-loved Wrexham teacher Lorraine Mckeown at St Mary’s Cathedral

“Thank you so much to the pupils of St Joseph’s who have attended here today. She would have been chuffed to bits.

“As her daughters grew up she seemed to relax more. In fact, she seemed to smile and laugh more and more as the years went by.

“Then when she was 55 she was suddenly diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour. 

“It was such a shock to everyone and her doctors said there was only a limited amount of time.

“Amazingly, despite this, never once did I hear Lorraine complain. She never moped, never cried ‘why me’?

“Instead she decided that every day that comes we would do something to make it special, and we did.

The Leader:

“She had just made it past her 56th birthday, fighting until the very last.

“We shouldn’t measure a life by the number of years spent on this planet. Rather we should measure it by what the person did with their time.

“She did so much in her life – so much more than I could ever tell you – but what I can tell you is she was raised well, she had a loving family, and she knew right from wrong.

“She loved meeting people and she knew that helping others was important.

The Leader:

Lorraine McKeown died aged 56 following her battle with cancer

“She helped with taking handicapped children to Lourdes, and we had Ukrainian people staying at out house during the foreign exchange trips.

“She understood how to do life. She lived it well and she is a fantastic role model, and although we shouldn’t measure one’s life based on the number of years, I can’t help but think that she didn’t get enough.

“The world is a lesser place without her and we all miss her.”