Students at a NSW primary school silently shed tears as they left flowers and messages in front of a memorial to former deputy principal Michael Clancy and his wife Carol, who died on MH17.
Mr Clancy only retired last year after 22 years as a teacher and deputy principal at Albion Park Public School, south of Wollongong.
"To Mr Clancy, Mrs Clancy. We will all miss you. I wish R.I.P. meant `Return in peace'. You will always be in my heart. Love from Ella," a student wrote on heart-shaped paper.
Another message from Traivon read: "To Mr Clancy. How are you. I hope you have a great life in heaven. I hope you sleep peacefully."
Three school counsellors were kept busy all day as students filed through their doors.
Staff also paid tribute to their ex-colleague - one teacher waited until students had left the memorial stand before she approached for a moment, tears welling, then left.
Principal Glenn Daniels said the school community was in shock.
"They've felt it fairly deeply," he said.
"The impact he's had is ginormous.
"It's not just the students currently at the school, we're fielding a lot of calls from ex-students and family."
A special memorial will be held later this week at the school.
The Clancys were among up to 39 Australian citizens and residents killed in the Malaysia Airlines disaster in Ukraine.
The couple were returning from a European holiday.
Wollongong City Council held a memorial service for the Clancys on Monday evening.
Mrs Clancy's daughter Jane Malcolm, her brother Andrew and his wife Yuliya joined more than 100 people in Wollongong's arts precinct for the candlelit ceremony.
"It's always the good guys ... I'm just completely at a loss to think of anything to say," Ms Malcolm told AAP.
Mrs Malcolm said the past few days have felt surreal.
"I feel like they are still on holidays; I don't know when this reality will come to my mind," she said.
"I just can't believe they are gone, they will not see their grand kids."
A local musician sang Tears in Heaven as children, locals, religious leaders and politicians gathered in solidarity.
Wollongong mayor Gordon Bradbery said that despite an overwhelming feeling of helplessness and loss in the community, the ceremony was a demonstration of support for the victims' families.
Mr Bradbery urged the congregation to "go and make this world a better place".
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