Tributes have been paid to a Teesside University lecturer who has drowned.
Dr Neil Armstrong, a senior lecturer in history, died on Friday.
It is not yet known where the incident happened.
“Neil was a talented colleague, scholar and teacher,” said Professor Gerda Roper, Dean of the School of Arts and Media.
“Anyone who worked with him knew the uncompromising dedication and dry wit that made him popular with both staff and students.
“An expert on the history of Christmas in the nineteenth century and on religion in twentieth-century Britain, Neil contributed immensely to every aspect of the work of the history section since joining us in June 2010.
“Our deepest sympathies and thoughts are with his family at this tragic time.
"Neil was a highly valued member of the team and we will all miss him.
"We will, of course, offer support to students, staff and the wider university community affected by his loss.”
Teesside University
Since the news broke, further tributes have also been posted on social networking sites to Dr Armstrong, who was believed to be aged 40.
The history department at Teesside University wrote on Twitter: “It was with great sadness that we learned of the sudden and tragic death on March 27 of our dear friend and colleague Dr Neil Armstrong.
“Neil Armstrong will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by us all. Our deepest sympathies go to his wife Catriona and wider family.”
Another person paid tribute to the “brilliant lecturer and overall gent.”
Meanwhile, one Twitter user wrote: “Absolutely devastated to hear that Dr Neil Armstrong has passed away, such a kind man with a great sense of humour. RIP.”
Another said: “So sad to hear the news of @HistoryTeesside lecturer Dr Neil Armstrong’s passing.
"Such a lovely, funny man with such great knowledge, RIP.”
A Teesside University student wrote: “Just found out my dissertation tutor has unfortunately died. Absolutely horrible. Was a genuinely brilliant person. RIP Dr Neil Armstrong.”
A published author who is thought to have lived in York, Dr Armstrong began his academic career researching the history of the English Christmas in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
His biography on Teesside University’s website reads: “His doctorate, published as Christmas in Nineteenth-Century England by Manchester University Press in 2010, was a study of the processes of modernisation which made the festival part of the national culture by the eve of the First World War.
“It examined the development of a child-centred seasonal celebration located at the heart of an affective familial occasion, but also explored the intersections between the hearthside Christmas and its manifestations in consumer, civic and philanthropic contexts.”
It adds: “Neil now focuses on the social, cultural and political history of post-1945 Britain, and has a particular interest in the role of the Christian churches in society.”
Dr Armstrong previously taught at the universities of Gloucestershire, Newcastle, Warwick and York.
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