Tributes paid to an eminent Inverclyde academic and mum of two who died at the age of just 37

Dr Fiona Connell Rioja Lang, who was internationally renowned for her groundbreaking work and research into animal welfare, passed away suddenly on April 29.

Fiona was a much loved wife to Rodolfo, mum to four-year-old Alexander and baby Emilia, daughter to Christine and Robert, sister to Gillian, sister-in-law to Christopher and auntie to Daniel and Rachel.

Today her grieving parents Christine and Robert, who live in Wemyss Bay, paid tribute to their extraordinary daughter.

Christine said: “She was a very thoughtful and caring girl.

“If she thought she could help anybody then she would do anything.

"She was one of these people who everybody liked.

"Fiona picked up friends wherever she went and would keep in contact with people from places like Switzerland, Canada, America, Australia.

"She was very easy going and worked so hard."

Robert added: “Her motto was, expect little, give a lot.

“She was a kind, caring, compassionate human being.”

Fiona was born in October 1981, the younger of two children born to Christine and Robert.

She and her big sister Gillian had a happy childhood growing up in Gourock.

Fiona attended Gourock Primary School and then moved to Gourock High before getting her first job in The Coffee Shop in Cove Road.

After school, she began her studies at the University of Glasgow and graduated in 2003 with a BSc Hons in Zoology.

Her love of studying took her to Edinburgh University where she completed a Masters in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare.

By the age of just 28, Fiona earned the title of Dr after completing her PhD in dairy cow welfare.

Fiona became very well known and highly respected in the animal welfare community and her expertise took her across the world.

Wherever Fiona went in the world, she always promoted Scotland and tried to arrange Burns Suppers and celebrate St Andrew's day.

During her career, she spent time in Canada working on dairy cow and pig welfare and was actively involved in the International Society for Applied Ethology.

Eleven years ago, Fiona settled down with her husband Rodolfo Rioja Nieto, in Merida in Yucatan, Mexico and the couple went on to have two children, Alexander, four, and their baby daughter Emilia.

Most recently, Fiona became a remote research fellow with the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education at the Vet School at the University of Edinburgh.

In this role, she was responsible for a project to assess animal welfare priorities in the UK.

This work will have an important impact on the UK and beyond and has been disseminated widely through papers, talks and media articles as part of Fiona’s legacy to animal welfare.

At a special memorial service to Fiona at The Albany in Greenock last week, Fritha Langford from the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education paid tribute to Fiona.

She said: “Fiona was a wonderful colleague and a very dear friend.

“She will be remembered for her enthusiastic, open and friendly approach to her work and her positive attitude to life.

“She was committed to animal welfare and has made a significant contribution to the lives of animals, from her personal work with Street dogs in Mexico, to her academic work on farmed livestock.

“She will be greatly missed as a fabulous person and a highly skilled scientist by all her friends and colleagues in the Jeanne Marchig Centre, SRUC, University of Edinburgh and wherever she had worked all over the world.”

A scholarship now looks set to be created in Fiona’s memory.

Fiona was devoted to her family and was very close to her sister Gillian and her brother-in-law Christopher who became 'the brother she never had'.

She was also a devoted auntie to Daniel and Rachel.

Her parents Christine and Robert say they have been overwhelmed by the support they have received since Fiona passed away from her friends and family in Scotland, Mexico and across the world.