Guam - As family and friends mourn the loss of 35-year-old Emma Catapang Cepeda, who was murdered by her estranged husband on Sunday night at her home, those she worked with at the Department of Education are grieving the loss of a co-worker they say is irreplaceable. 

A black ribbon hangs on the door of the Guam Head Start Program Office at DOE's Central Offices.  The staff were shocked when they reported to work on Monday and learned of the tragic death of Cepeda, the program's administrative secretary.  The Dededo woman was found dead inside her home from two gunshot wounds inflicted by her estranged husband, Emmanuel Cabrera Cepeda.

Inside the office two candles are lit in remembrance of a woman her colleagues say was an integral part of the Headstart Program. Her co-worker, administrative assistant Joanne Camacho, said, "Getting to know her from day one there's never been a day that you won't see Emma smiling.  Emma is always smiling. You walk in here, I think that's the one person you're going to remember is Emma. She's front office."

Camacho says they were shocked to learn of what Emma was going through on the home front, as Emma never brought her personal life into work and never showed if she was having a bad day. "Work-wise, very dependable, quick to learn and is always there for everybody here in the program," she continued. "She can do multi tasking and still have that smile on her face. A very, very good employee here in the program, and that's something we'll never forget of her."

Headstart Program director Cathy Schroeder says in the two short years Emma has been with DOE, she excelled, going from a clerk typist to secretary and always helping with outreaches and events. "Although she was quiet and reserved, she and made a strong impact on all the employees of Headstart, not just the Central Office staff, but also our teaching staff who come in and out of the office with timesheets and paperwork that's required for the program. She always had a friendly smile or a positive comment for everybody," she recalled.

They say Emma loved her three children and featured them during the office's recent Christmas ornament contest. Schroeder noted, "She was very proud of them and would always share how proud she was of her children."

DOE superintendent Jon Fernandez says the department is grieving and doing what it can to support console those who knew and worked with Emma, telling KUAM News, "We've reached out to the schools where she had formerly been employed just to ensure that as word got out that we were providing support and counseling services as needed for our employees, but it's been a rough week."

Emma was the victim of family violence and had obtained a permanent stay away order to protect herself and her children. Emmanuel told police he went to her home on Sunday night with the intention of killing Emma and then himself, but after he shot her, his gun malfunctioned and police arrived. His actions have left her children, her family and her co-workers with an irreplaceable void that they now struggle to fill.

Schroeder said, "Her absence is such a hole in our program because she did so much."

Mass is being said nightly for Emma Cepeda at the Santa Barbara Church at 7pm followed by the rosary at the lower level of the Dededo church.  The funeral is scheduled for next Saturday, March 2.