Friends and co-workers of Celia Ferrer de Jesus, who drowned last week during floods in Dublin, described the Filipina nurse as an outstanding public servant as well as a loving mother during an emotional removal service held this morning.
Some 200 people attended the ceremony, held in the chapel of Our Lady's Hospice in Harold's Cross, where Ms Ferrer worked. Those gathered also formed a guard of honour as her body was taken to Dublin airport where it was due to be flown home to the Philippines.
Awaiting the body there are Ms Ferrer's husband, Angelito, and her 19-year-old son, Michael Kevin.
Mo Flynn, chief executive of the hospice, extended her sympathies to the family, saying that Irish people were well aware of the "emotional challenges" that faced those affected by emigration, particularly in extreme circumstances such as in this case.
"That huge gulf in terms of distance and isolation from loved ones makes coping with the awful tragedy all the more difficult," she said.
Acknowledging the presence of a several gardaí at this morning's service, Ms Flynn said the deaths of Ms Ferrer and off-duty Garda Ciarán Jones in last week's floods "put the damage of so many properties in perspective".
She added: "They were both outstanding public servants in their way, each in their own way contributing to the well-being of their community, one at the beginning of his career and one reaching near the end of hers."
Ms Flynn thanked all those who had sent in remembrance cards and also read out a letter of condolence from President Mary McAleese which encouraged the staff to help each other through these "very sad times".
Fr Brendan McKeever, who led the service, described Ms Ferrer as a woman who loved to travel and lamented the manner in which she died. Ms Ferrer was found in the basement of her house last week after her house was flooded.
"Each of us in our own way have tried to visualise that and it kind of captures you somewhere in your heart," he said.
At several times during the service, participants were overcome by grief and unable to continue, most pointedly as one friend of Ms Ferrer had to apologise for ending his song mid-way, unable to continue.
"I don't think everyone has gotten over the shock of her death yet and I think once we say goodbye to her today, that is when it will hit people," said Avril Tupas, who arrived in the hospice from the Philippines in 2001, the same year as Ms Ferrer.
"We were the first Filipino staff here in the hospice and because everyone here had left families behind on the Philippines, we all gathered every birthday, every Christmas, any other parties, all of us together.
"Her main priority in life would have been her family especially her son - she was very family orientated and she would do everything for them - I don't know how her family are going to cope now that she is gone."
Despite being away from her family Ms Ferrer was very happy in Ireland, according to Ms Tupas, particularly after she attained her Irish citizenship as she believed this would allow her family to be reunited in Ireland.
"She loves it here. When she got her citizenship, she was so happy. She tells everybody about it and she couldn't wait to be an Irish citizen."