Family leads tributes to Royston teacher who children ‘loved being with’

Marissa Fisk at an Icknield Walk First School sports day. Picture: David Hatton (Image: Archant)

Marissa started her teaching career at Icknield Walk First School in 2000, and loved it so much that she never left.

Her husband Nick told the Crow: “It was her first and only teaching job and she loved it. She came into teaching quite late but had a real passion for it, and working with the pupils and teachers at Icknield brought her tremendous happiness.”

Marissa was born in Croydon in London, where she lived until she went off to read European studies with French at the University of Bradford from 1978 to 1982 – and it was there she met Nick.

“It was wonderful, we had a fantastic time at university,” he said.

Marissa Fisk has passed away, aged 58. (Image: Archant)

“Having known her for a year, I finally plucked up the courage to ask her out at a party she and her friends were hosting, only for her to forget this when I turned up the next day to take her out.”

They married four years later back in Croydon, and had daughters Natasha, 29, and Rebekah, 27.

They moved to Melbourn in late 1991 just before the arrival of son Thomas, now 25, and when the children were old enough, Marissa took on a postgraduate degree in teaching and landed the role at Icknield Walk soon after.

She later became science subject leader at the school, encouraged the children to become enthusiastic environmentalists, and represented staff on the board of governors.

Headteacher Jane Sherwood said: “Marissa was a calm and caring teacher. The children in her classes tried their best for her, because she listened to them and valued them.

“She has taught many children throughout her time in school and to every class she gave her all. As part of her leadership she began to run an annual Science Day, which continues to be one of the highlights of the school calendar and is one of her legacy’s to the school that continues to this day.

“She always loved being with the children and they loved being with her. We all feel very privileged to have worked alongside her and to have known her as a colleague and a friend.”

Nick and Marissa enjoyed more than 30 years of marriage together. He said: “We got on really well and hardly ever had a cross word throughout our lives.

“We shared the same interests – like music and football. She was a Crystal Palace fan, and I supported their arch rivals Brighton – football was a big part of our life together and our children are now big Brighton fans and Marissa, despite being a Palace fan, was a season ticket holder at Brighton and would cheer through gritted teeth when they scored.

“She loved France, and had a year there while studying. Before becoming a teacher Marissa set up a French club, Le Club Francais, to teach children in the local area. She was all about France, football and family.”

Marissa was diagnosed with multiple myeloma – a cancer of the bone marrow which affects plasma cells – in June 2015. Despite more than two years of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant in August 2016, tragically, Marissa was told in April that the treatments she as receiving were not controlling the disease and life expectancy was significantly limited.

“She was very brave – she had a real iron resolve to fight this and continued living life to the full despite her many trips to hospital” said Nick.

“We had a fantastic final six months. We had several trips to France, saw a Shakespeare play in Stratford-upon-Avon. and travelled with all the family to see our son Tom get engaged in Austria, which she was determined to do.

“She was remarkably kind and passionate – she never had a bad word to say about anyone and would always see the good in people. I feel truly blessed that we had all this time together and we couldn’t be more proud of her.”

There will be a Requiem Mass held at Royston Roman Catholic Church on Thursday at 11am, followed by a private burial.

The family have asked for those who wish to give flowers to instead make a donation to Myeloma UK in Marissa’s memory, by sending it to Jeremy Rule Funeral Directors in Church Lane.