MARGARET Fairbank's passion for teaching became a gift to all who were lucky enough to become her student.
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It was this passion and endless love for her grandchildren that saw her brushing up on the rules of cricket in the later years of her life.
Mrs Fairbank passed away at the age of 74 last week after a battle with metastatic melanoma.
She was surrounded by her husband Dr Eric Fairbank and their children Sarah Jessup, 43, and Paul, 41.
Dr Fairbank said his wife's love of teaching saw her teach at Warrnambool High School for a number of years.
Later in life she decided to pursue another passion and completed a textiles diploma at South West TAFE.
Her dedication to the craft resulted in the institute asking her to return and teach the course to other students, an opportunity she happily took on, teaching at TAFE for more than 20 years.
Mrs Fairbank was a devout grandmother to May, 12, Dan, 9, James, 9, and Joshua, 7.
"She was teaching May how to cook, sew and knit," Dr Fairbank said.
"The boys are interested in sport so Marg took an interest in cricket and was learning the rules and the positions on the field for the grandsons."
Dr Fairbank, who was instrumental in setting up hospice in the home, said his wife was extremely generous and compassionate.
In recent months she helped decorate a quiet room at the city's hospice house.
Dr Fairbank said the room was a place where patients, families, friends and carers could reflect and de-stress.
"It's a place where people can take some time out from the stresses of their situations," he said.
Dr Fairbank said his wife was pleased to be able to help decorate the room and make it a calm and relaxing place for people who were ill or had a sick loved one.
"I think she was very pleased she was able to help out," he said.
Mrs Fairbank loved to keep fit and completed the Warrnambool to Koroit marathon a number of times.
She was a former member of the Warrnambool Masters Swimming Club and loved walking along the beach and clifftops - a pastime she enjoyed up until a few weeks before her passing.
"As much as possible we would go out each day until the last two or three weeks," Dr Fairbank said.
"She liked to be out and about."
Dr Fairbank said he had been touched by the outpouring of emotion following his wife's passing.
"We've had an incredible amount of support from both family and friends," he said.
Dr Fairbank said his wife was supported by the hospice group and the city's palliative care team in her final months.
At her funeral a recording of Mrs Fairbank's daughter and granddaughter playing their trombones was played.
It was a fitting tribute to the music lover, Dr Fairbank said.
The couple was married for nearly 52 years after meeting at a tennis club in Melbourne.
"I arrived in Melbourne and I went to the same tennis club she was playing," Dr Fairbank said.
The club put the two together as doubles partners and love blossomed.
Dr Fairbank and his wife moved to Warrnambool in 1969.
They moved several times before settling back in the city in 1974.
Dr Fairbank said his children would reiterate the importance of sun safety to their children after Mrs Fairbank's passing.
She was diagnosed with a primary melanoma in 2012.
Dr Fairbank said it was removed and showed no sign of spreading at the time.
Tragically, she discovered a lump in her neck in May 2018 and was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma.
She lost her brave battle last week after contracting pneumonia.
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