![Monica Watt helped shape so many people's lives in her 40 years as a teacher and deputy principal at TIGS. Picture by Kirk Gilmour Monica Watt helped shape so many people's lives in her 40 years as a teacher and deputy principal at TIGS. Picture by Kirk Gilmour](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/rdPnbxNSt95RbDXSGgzrdz/0b4455ee-3c21-4922-a7be-1238db09547f.jpg/r0_145_5008_2961_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Long-serving TIGS teacher and deputy headmaster Monica Watt always put the students ahead of herself - even when she had cancer.
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Ms Watt passed away at Bulli Hospital on July 18 surrounded by children and grandchildren; she was 73.
Born in Scotland she came to Wollongong in the early 1970s and began working at TIGS in 1975, eventually retiring as deputy headmaster in 2015.
While at the school, in 2006 she battled bowel and lung cancer but still put the students first.
"She was so committed to the school that the day her oncologist told her she had to have an operation for her bowel cancer in a few days' time, it turned out to be the same day as the school speech night," her daughter Anna Beniuk said.
![TIGS deputy Monica Watt with students marking Daffodil Day in 2008. Picture by Melanie Russell TIGS deputy Monica Watt with students marking Daffodil Day in 2008. Picture by Melanie Russell](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/rdPnbxNSt95RbDXSGgzrdz/f75f0ccf-d9a3-4bc7-92c7-40426daa40a2.jpg/r0_0_3558_2000_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"She said to him 'we can't have it that day, that's speech night'. He said to her 'Umm, Monica, it's cancer'."
Over her 40-year career as an educator, Ms Watt helped to shape thousands of students who went through TIGS, which made Ms Beniuk "extremely proud" of her mum.
"I have had people tell me things about how mum shaped their lives in terms of their careers or actually getting through school, or their sense of selves," she said.
"Everywhere I went, if I met an ex-student, it didn't matter how old they were, I had to listen to a lot of praise for my mum and how much she was loved."
She was also active in the community devoting her time to help others.
After having a daughter taken from her and put up for adoption while in Scotland - years later Ms Watt was able to reconnect with her child, Deborah - Ms Watt co-founded Wollongong Links to help people with post-adoption reunions.
![Deputy Principal of TIGS Monica Watt marking the Cancer Council's Daffodil Day in 2009. Ms Watt was a cancer survivor. Deputy Principal of TIGS Monica Watt marking the Cancer Council's Daffodil Day in 2009. Ms Watt was a cancer survivor.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/rdPnbxNSt95RbDXSGgzrdz/e46a8c50-bbf7-45d9-a50d-c4fb129f8f03.jpg/r0_112_3888_2298_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
She also volunteered for the Cancer Council and promoted their fundraising Daffodil Day at the school.
Stephen Kinsella was TIGS headmaster while Ms Watt was deputy, working together from when he arrived in 2006 to her retirement in 2015.
He said she was both "a good teacher and a good person".
"Students can see through the veneer of being in a position of authority and see what the person is at heart," Mr Kinsella said.
"The fact that so many people respected and loved Monica was a reflection of who she was as a human being.
"She was passionate in wanting the best outcomes for her students. That was right across the board from being a classroom teacher through to making some hard decisions as deputy headmaster. But she always would act in the best interests and for the best interests of the students."
After retirement Ms Watt moved to Jindabyne and joined the committee involved in organising the popular Lake Light Sculpture arts festival.
![Monica Watt in 2015 on one her final days as deputy principal of TIGS before her retirement. Picture by Kirk Gilmour Monica Watt in 2015 on one her final days as deputy principal of TIGS before her retirement. Picture by Kirk Gilmour](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/rdPnbxNSt95RbDXSGgzrdz/1e458243-f0f8-4cee-a739-beb5175b7d5b.jpg/r0_144_4640_2753_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Former committee chair Lisa Matthes said fellow members were "devastated" to hear of her passing.
"She was such a vibrant, bubbly person and brought so much to the community in the short time she was here," Ms Matthes said.
"In the very short time she was in the community she impacted so many people in such a positive way."
Ms Matthes said it was a mark of Ms Watt's character that, when she arrived she asked 'what can I do for the community?' rather than expecting it to do something for her.
"That's the spirit that more people should take example from," Ms Mattes said.
"She really embraced the community, she got in touch with the golfing club, the Lake Light sculpture committee and a lot of other arts and cultural groups.
"She just embraced every opportunity - even in such a small country town - and she certainly left her mark here."
Ms Watt's funeral will be held on July 27 at noon at Hanson and Cole's Northcliffe Chapel at Kembla Grange.
The service will also be live-streamed for those unable to attend.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to The Smith Family's Learning for Life program.
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