Nicola Bulley was "the type of mum everyone wanted to be", her heartbroken friend has revealed.
The mum-of-two vanished on a dog walk in the village of St Michael's on Wyre in Lancashire, on January 27.
Nicola, 45, had dropped her two young daughters at school before she disappeared in a "10-minute window" that Friday morning.
But tragically, despite a desperate search lasting more than three weeks, her body was discovered in the River Wyre on Sunday, less than a mile from where she was last seen alive.
Her neighbour and friend, Charlotte Drake, said: "Nikki, There are no words to express or understand what has happened. No emotions deep enough for any of us to feel.
"As I said last week 'You truly are the type of mum everyone wanted to be' and I will always continue to strive to be like that."
Another mum in the village told the Mirror that Nikki was a member of the parent teacher association (PTA) at the primary school where her daughters attended.
She said: "She was a member of the PTA, she used to organise all the mummy's nights, she was just a really lovely person, everyone knew her and liked her."
Continuing her tribute, Mrs Drake vowed to look after Nicola's daughters, claiming her own unborn baby was desperate to meet them.
She wrote on Facebook : "Please rest in peace knowing your girls are surrounded by love, support and protection, I can promise that to you.
"This little baby girl cannot wait to come out to meet them."
Today it was confirmed that Ms Bulley's body was identified by dental records after the missing mum was recovered from a river on Sunday.
The inquest into the mortgage adviser's death was opened at Lancashire Coroner’s Court today, with Miss Bulley's family choosing not to attend.
The hearing, which lasted five minutes, did not determine her cause of death as the coroner said they expect a full inquest to be held in June.
