Margaret Hassan dedicated most of her working life to easing the lot of ordinary Iraqis.
She was born in Dublin, but married an Iraqi and her dedication to the country and its culture was such that she became a Muslim and took on dual British and Iraqi citizenship.
She worked in humanitarian relief in the Middle Eastern country for 30 years and for the last 12 years she worked for Care International as Care Iraq's country director.
After she was kidnapped, her husband Mr Tahseen Ali Hassan pleaded with her kidnappers to let her go saying: "They should know that my wife has worked almost all her life for the Iraqi people and considers herself an Iraqi. "My wife is apolitical, she is a humanitarian worker and I ask you to release
her."
Mrs Hassan 's close friend, film-maker Felicity Arbuthnot, described her as "a very tough lady who is frightened of nothing".
Described by friends as caring, tough and direct, she began working for Care International soon after it began operations in Iraq in 1991.
At the time she was taken hostage she was in charge of a staff of 60 Iraqis who run nutrition, health and water programmes throughout the country.
But her kidnapping led the aid operation to withdraw from the country, considering it had become too dangerous.
Mrs Hassan was a vocal opponent of international sanctions on Iraq. And before the coalition forces launched last year's war to topple Saddam Hussein, Mrs Hassan spoke out to warn that such a conflict would bring a "humanitarian catastrophe" on Iraq.
When war broke out, she was determined to stay to continue her work despite the danger.
As the conflict gripped the country, she led a team working to provide essential aid to hospitals and help restore vital power and water supplies.
Her team coped with the problem of looters and chaos in the streets and fought for a return to food rationing.
After she was taken hostage on October 19th, protesters gathered outside Care International's Baghdad headquarters, carrying pictures of her and banners which called for the release of "Mama Margaret".
Nasrat al-Asadi, a teacher at an Iraqi school for the deaf, brought about 30 pupils to the demonstration and said: "They all love her. She helped them with hearing aids besides reconstructing the institute."
Her plight was the subject of a wave of sympathy across the Islamic world, with many websites filled with messages deploring her kidnapping.
Her courageous leadership through such troubled times was "remarkable", said one colleague.
Following a meeting in Jordan in March last year, Sir William Deane, chairman of Care Australia, said: "Margaret's decision - indeed her determination - to remain in Iraq and carry out emergency work throughout the conflict was typical of a truly remarkable woman."
Care International is one of the world's largest independent global relief and development organisations.
The non-political aid organisation has its headquarters in Belgium and operates in more than 72 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and eastern Europe.
It has 11 offices in Europe, Australia, North America, and Japan and supports projects that benefit about 30 million people a year.
Ninety per cent of Care International's 10,000 staff worldwide work in their home countries.
PA