A dedicated nurse was remembered by the Chief Nursing Officer for her “jovial, warm and pleasant demeanour that could soothe the soul of any person”.

Susan Pedro had “a wonderful relationship with children” and was known across the island’s schools by teachers and pupils alike, Gaynelle Hayward wrote.

Ms Pedro, from England, arrived in Bermuda in 1971, and worked at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in intensive care before joining the Health Department.

As one of the island’s small number of forensic nurses, Ms Pedro’s roles included working with the police on the Sexual Assault Response Team.

She was also a dedicated volunteer with the cancer charity Pals.

In 2012, when she worked in Communicable Diseases at the Department of Health, Ms Pedro was “very moved, excited, and very surprised” to be named nurse of the year.

Born in Ipswich, Ms Pedro decided on nursing at about age 14 because it involved helping others.

“I probably didn’t really know why then but it was because I enjoy talking to people and helping them better their lives,” she said. “I suppose it was in my genes.”

Her father Raymond Hanbury-Webber and her brother, Tim, were both doctors, and her mother, Phyl, worked as a nurse with the Red Cross during the Second World War.

While in high school, she took courses at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and later studied midwifery in Kingston upon Thames.

She married Stanley Howard Pedro and the couple had two children, Sebastian and Natasha Pedro.

Tributes to Ms Pedro provided by her family included: “Your mom was such an incredible and beautiful lady with the warmest heart and brightest smile.

“She’s one of those very special people that puts you right at ease the moment you meet her. I can only imagine the gratitude her patients had over the years, in their darkest days, to have someone like your mom by their side to hold their hand and be their strength.”

The family said messages of support had come from all over the world.

“The outpouring of love and support, despite the time that has gone by since they left Bermuda, is humbling.”

A funeral service is planned for this Thursday in the UK.

• Susan Elizabeth Pedro, a lifelong nurse, was born on September 25, 1948. She died on March 30, 2023, aged 74.