Petra Rogers, 1970-2011

A Czech who came to make Leeds her home, Petra Rogers was cheerful and popular, and was known for her compassion and sensitivity.

Ms Rogers was born in the Czech Republic on 23 May 1970. She studied at Charles University in Prague, where she gained her master's degree. After her graduation, she travelled and worked throughout the Far East, Europe and Australasia with her husband.

They eventually settled in Leeds, and she joined the University of Leeds in 1998 as a temporary employee in the School of Healthcare to assist with award ceremonies.

Her gift for organisation and for working with others ensured that she was quickly offered a permanent position within the school.

Following the birth of her children, Ms Rogers returned to work part-time, but furthered her involvement in academia with lecturing roles in the department of Russian and Slavonic studies.

She was a talented linguist who spoke six languages: Czech, English, French, German, Russian and Vietnamese, three of them fluently.

In a tribute released by the university, she is described as a "popular and skilled tutor".

"She enabled students to quickly grasp the complexities of the Czech language and to gain a broad understanding of the Czech culture," it says.

Ms Rogers also worked for Leeds Metropolitan University, and began teaching her native language in the part-time language programme in 2003, where she was known for her "professionalism and cheerfulness".

Before she was diagnosed with cancer in October 2010, Ms Rogers had trained as an interpreter for the police, and had been eager to begin her new role.

Despite her illness, she continued to work at Leeds, and was appointed as a student support officer in November 2010 - a role that her colleagues said she "frequently stated her pleasure" at obtaining.

Her friends and colleagues in the School of Healthcare paid tribute to a "popular and much-respected" colleague who delighted in both her official role and that of the school's "unofficial guide to all things Czech, helping anyone planning to visit the republic with information".

"Petra particularly loved Christmas and would supply the school with home-made Czech cookies and other culinary delights. She had a generous spirit and loved to plan ahead to provide thoughtful gifts for family and friends. She was a charming friend and colleague who possessed a great sense of humour and an enormous capacity to enjoy life."

Ms Rogers died on 3 November of cancer. She is survived by her husband, Richard, and her two children.

sarah.cunnane@tsleducation.com.