Life full of family, faith, friends

Cam and Teresa Morgan (centre) with their four children (from left) Alisher, Jared, Sam and Kimberly.

Teresa Morgan has been described by her family as the life of the party - a vivacious woman with a big heart and great hugs.

The 54-year-old Rotorua mother of four was named by police yesterday as the woman killed in a four-vehicle crash on State Highway 5 at Tarukenga on Tuesday.

Her husband, children, grandchildren, siblings, nieces and great nieces and nephew gathered at the family home yesterday where they spoke to the Rotorua Daily Post about how Mrs Morgan lived her life.

Teresa Morgan.

"You always knew when she was in the room, you could hear her laugh a mile away. She was vivacious - loud but in a good way," niece Debbie Nurkka said.

"I have so many good memories, all of them stand out. She got me into The Muppets - she loved Miss Piggy."

Husband Cam Morgan said his wife was his best friend.

"We have been married for 33 years and she has always been my most faithful friend. She had a deep, strong Christian faith and poured herself wholeheartedly into everything she did and everyone she met.

"She was the type of person that made lifelong friends. She touched the hearts of everybody."

Mrs Morgan was the youngest of six children and spent most of her life in Rotorua.

"She was a daddy's girl, that's for sure," her brother Danny McBride said. "She had him wrapped around her little finger."

"She would drop everything to be by your side when you needed her, she was very supportive and a good listener," sister Anne Thrush added.

Everyone agreed she was an amazing artist and pointed out her sketches and watercolours on the lounge walls.

"She has always been artistic, but about three years ago she started experimenting with watercolour and completely took off with it," Mr Morgan said.

Janet Keen taught Mrs Morgan art and said she was very talented.

"She had a natural ability - an eye for photo-realism. I saw her talent immediately."

Mrs Morgan's children, Jared, Alisher, Kimberly and Sam said their "mumma bear" was always there when they needed her.

"She was a very understanding person and when she didn't understand she would still support you," Sam said.

"When we were growing up and we were having a bad day she would say 'take a mental health day, school will be there tomorrow' and she would just sit with us and watch a movie - be with us, she was good like that," Alisher said.

"She was big-hearted. It didn't matter if you were an in-law or out-law, she loved you unconditionally," Kimberly said.

Belinda McNee said her aunt was an "amazing lady with the biggest heart".

"She always helped family and friends alike. She, her husband and their four children have taken in travellers from all over the world and have touched many in the church and community with things they have done. For me she was my aunt, godmother, friend and will be missed so much."

It's the second tragedy to hit the family in recent years. In October 2013, Ms Thrush's son, 33-year-old Ryan Thrush died when the vehicle he was in crashed into a tree on Hamurana Rd on his way home from work.

At the time Mrs Morgan spoke to the Rotorua Daily Post about her kind-hearted nephew and the hole his death had left.

Bay of Plenty district road policing manager Inspector Brent Crowe said police were still investigating Tuesday's crash.

Mrs Morgan was one of six people involved in the accident, which happened around 11.45am at the start of the passing lane heading north past the Tupapakurua Bridge at Tarukenga. The crash involved three cars and one truck.

Mrs Morgan's funeral is on Monday and will be led by Harvest Church pastor Dave Moore.