Portadown Rugby Football Club have led tributes to a remarkable player who they say “filled our changing room with laughter, friendship and unforgettable memories”.
Gillian Alexandra Magowan – also known as Alex to her friends and family – passed away at her Portadown home on June 25.
Her untimely death has plunged many in the local area into mourning and sent shockwaves through the women’s team at Portadown RFC, where she was a beloved teammate and friend.
Paying tribute to the young woman who made such an impact on those she played with, the club said: “There are no words that can truly express the heartbreak our Women’s team and the entire Portadown Rugby Football Club family are feeling today.
“It is with profound sadness that we mourn the loss of our beloved teammate and friend, Alex Magowan.
“Alex wasn’t just someone who wore the blue jersey; she was a beautiful soul whose kindness, warmth and smile touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.
“She filled our changing room with laughter, friendship and unforgettable memories that will stay with us forever.”
The club said they had been looking forward to welcoming Alex back to the squad after the birth of “her beautiful son, August, alongside her precious daughter, Iveigh”.
“We spoke about seeing her back in blue, making more memories together and sharing many more years as teammates and friends. It is heart-breaking that those moments will never come,” they said.
Passing on their condolences to Alex’s partner, children and extended family, the club said, “We hope they know they are surrounded by the love and support of an entire rugby family. Rugby creates friendships that become family, and today our family grieves together.”
Additionally, recognising that the young mum’s death will have a profound impact on her teammates, the club urged anyone struggling with her loss to contact their club chaplain, Jonny or to speak with a “teammate, friend or loved one”.
Of Alex, they added: “Thank you for every memory, every smile and every moment we shared. It was a privilege to call you our teammate and our friend.
“You will always be one of us. You will always wear blue. You will never be forgotten.”
Others who knew her have described her as a “beautiful soul” who was always “kind and caring”.
Said one: “Alex was a family friend who always had a smile. I also had the pleasure of working with her. Thinking of Chris, Iveigh and little August at this very sad time. Words cannot express how devastated we are.”
A death notice described her as the beloved fiancée of Christopher and a much loved mother of Iveigh and August, dearly loved daughter of Amanda and Reggie and beloved sister of Terri-Jane.
Her Funeral Service is to be held today (Monday, June 29) followed by internment in Kernan Cemetery.
Donations – if desired – are to Little Princess Trust.
