Pat Hume, widow of John Hume, has died

Pat Hume with her late husband, John, after his election in 1998

Pat Hume, the widow of the late SDLP leader and Nobel prize winner John Hume, has died after a short illness.

Mrs Hume worked alongside her husband from the beginning of the civil rights movement in Londonderry in the 1960s.

Her work continued during the Troubles, through to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Mrs Hume ran Mr Hume's Foyle constituency office dealing with community issues, housing and poverty in Derry.

In a statement, the Hume family said they were "heartbroken" to announce her death, adding that she "died as she lived - surrounded by family, peacefully and generous to the end".

"Pat spent some days in the hospital in the days preceding her death and she saw first-hand the outstanding work that healthcare workers do, and the pressures that they are facing due to Covid," the family statement said.

"She would prioritise public health at all times."

The family paid tribute to the medical staff who cared for their mother in her final days.

Her death comes just over a year after the death of her husband.

Mrs Hume, a former teacher, was awarded the Irish Red Cross Lifetime Achievement award in 2018.

Pat Hume worked in her husband's Foyle constituency office dealing with community issues, housing and poverty in Derry

A foundation honouring John and Pat Hume's peace and reconciliation work was launched in November last year.

The political tributes were led by Hillary Clinton, who said Mrs Hume was "a gracious, determined force behind the achievement of peace in Ireland".

'Compassion, fortitude and strength'

The former US presidential candidate and first lady added that the Humes "made the world a better place and set an example for us all".

In a statement, Foyle MP and current SDLP leader Colum Eastwood, said: "Pat's compassion, fortitude and strength of character was a driving force behind the peace process".

"Without Pat Hume, there would have been no peace process in Ireland, that's the simple truth," he said.

Northern Ireland First Minister Paul Givan said there was a "real sense of loss" following her death.

"Not just among her friends and family - and my thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time - but for the many lives she touched, both directly and indirectly.

"It is a testament to her legacy that people from all backgrounds, near and far, are tonight joined in sadness to mark her passing," he added.

Pat and John Hume meeting with former US President Bill Clinton in Londonderry in 2010

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she was a "a strong and determined person whose immense contribution to our peace is recognised across this island and across the world".

"My thoughts are with Pat and John's children, the entire Hume family, and the people of Derry who will feel her loss deeply," she added.

"A unique life well lived," said DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

"No one who met John left the conversation without knowing Pat," he added.

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said she was "deeply saddened" by the news.

Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adam tweeted that "Pat was John's best and most trusted adviser".

"Her dedication to peace was total as was her dedication to John, especially in his latter years," said Alliance leader Naomi Long.

DUP assembly member Gary Middleton described Mrs Hume as having a "radiant passion" for the city and said his thoughts were with the Hume family at this time.

John and Pat Hume pictured in 1979

Tributes were also paid by Taoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin who described Mrs Hume as her husband's "partner in family life and in political life".

"Pat and John worked side by side for decades, she was his trusted adviser at key political moments and his anchor in their beloved Derry," Mr Martin said.

Irish President Michael D Higgins described Mrs Hume's life as one of "total commitment to community and to the possibilities of peace".

He said her work, like that of her husband's, "will always have an indelible place in the minds of all Irish people".

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said Pat Hume "worked tirelessly and courageously" for peace in Northern Ireland and said her partnership with John was "crucial to the whole peace process".

Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Louise Haigh described her as "an extraordinary woman, and a courageous peacemaker".

'Small in stature but a colossus'

The Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown, paid tribute to Mrs Hume, adding: "In the course of that long and challenging journey towards the peace we enjoy today Pat was brave, courageous and uncompromising.

"She was small in stature but a colossus," he said.

"In many ways she must have felt her job was done when John had died. She looked after him right up until the end.

"In many ways we thought - 'May you now enjoy the peace that you worked for so much in this life'."