TRIBUTES have poured in for a much-loved teacher from Greenock who inspired generations of pupils.

Etta Gavin, who taught speech and elocution for many years, has passed away at the age of 92.

Miss Gavin died peacefully at Inverclyde Royal Hospital and family and friends will pay their final respects at her funeral at St Laurence's Church this morning.

Her brother Brian, 69, said: "There is no doubt that she touched many lives and will be missed by both family and friends.

"Her pupils’ successes are her most significant legacy.

"One took part in the opening ceremony of the re-convening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

"On another occasion Etta attended Bute House in Edinburgh to meet the First Minister on the occasion of the launch of a CD of Burns poem on which one of her pupils is recorded.

"The current President of the Mother Club is a former pupil and only last year he took part in a Burns celebration in Russia. And of course there are many more whose lives have been enriched by her teaching."

Miss Gavin was born on July 23 in 1925 and brought up in the Belville area of Greenock, the second eldest of James and Margaret Gavin.

On leaving school she began working as a sales assistant, firstly with a local bakery firm and then with the Co-op, before becoming a civil servant employed in what is now the DWP, working in their local offices in Greenock and Port Glasgow.

But her passion was for poetry and verse speaking and she studied this in her spare time to gain qualifications to teach speech and elocution.

Brian said: "Once she had finished her day time job she committed and dedicated most of her time to teaching young people who regularly attended classes in her home.

"Her enjoyment and pleasure was obvious as many of her pupils took part in action songs and speech classes in Inverclyde Music Festival especially when they won their class, which they usually did! Lots of fun and laughter was had on these occasions and also in the Arts Guild, putting on shows."

Throughout the years Etta supported several festivals including the Edinburgh Poetry festival, the Burns Federation Schools Festivals and Inverclyde Music Festival.

Brian said: "Her pupils enjoyed many successes both locally and nationally at these festivals. She had a wonderful ability to impart knowledge and understanding of poetry, especially those in the Scots language and of course the works of Robert Burns."

Isobel Lind, former head teacher of Ravenscraig and Aileymill Primary schools, was a close friend of Etta's..

Mrs Lind said: "She was a great woman and I admired her a great deal.

"I always regret that I had never been taught by her.

"She will be an unbelievable loss to the community. The festival will never be the same without Miss Gavin.

"She set the standard for poetry at the Inverclyde Music Festival.

"Ravenscraig and Aileymill competed against her pupils but we didn't very often catch her. Her understanding of Burns was just incredible."

Mrs Lind says it is a testament to Miss Gavin that national judges held her in high esteem and were always asking after her.

She said: "I learned so much from competing against her. We were great rivals who became good friends.

"I liked to go to visit her for a chat. We could chat for hours."

As well as being an inspiration to her pupils and contemporaries, Etta was also much loved by her family and lived life to the full.

She loved to travel and family holidays took her as far afield as France, Greece and America.

Brian said: "In her 75th she visited Egypt where she rode bareback on a donkey to allow her to visit Tutankhamun's tomb."

Miss Gavin remained very active until recent years and only very reluctantly gave up driving.

Despite being housebound she kept in touch with friends and welcomed visits from former pupils, who would drop in for a chat or some advice on a poem they were performing.

She is survived by her brother Brian, sister-in-law Janice, nephew James and niece Rosemary.

Miss Gavin's funeral will take place at 10am at St Laurence's RC Church and all family, friends and former pupils are respectfully invited.