Loreto staff and pupils pay tribute to teacher Clarke Rice

A post on the ‘Friends of Loreto’ page read: “It is with great sadness that we announce that our colleague and friend Mr Clarke Rice has passed away, following a determined and courageous battle against Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.”

Mr Rice, originally from Dungannon, began his teaching at Loreto in September 2000.

As Head of Computing and ICT, he established GCSE and A Level Computing in the Loreto curriculum. According to the post Mr Rice (39) was ‘dedicated’ to his academic subject, but also to the ‘whole concept of education alongside his very strong faith’.

The post read: “He will be sadly missed by his colleagues and friends and his former students at Loreto, who greatly appreciated his ready wit and sense of irony, his tremendous integrity and strength of character, and the faith and courage which provided an inspiration, teaching us how to face the deepest adversity with the greatest courage.

The post went on: “The determination which Clarke had shown in guiding one or two more recalcitrant students, or battling the frustrations facing every teacher, stood him in good stead as he worked his way through relapses, treatments and taught everyone who knew him an intensely humbling lesson about valuing life, love, friendship and the simple pleasures.”