LYLA and Ronnie Steele established the Silver Hill poultry business near the Co Monaghan border in 1962 with just six ducks.
Today it produces more than 80,000 of its unique breed of Peking ducks each week for restaurant tables from London to Hong Kong, as well as duvets and pillows for five-star hotels the world over.
The name Silver Hill came from the farm where Lyla grew up in Virginia, Co Cavan.
She had made a name in the poultry industry in Ireland and England before marrying Ronnie Steele in 1960 and buying a small farm outside Emyvale to start their own firm, restoring the nearby rectory, Errigal House, as their home.
Silver Hill Ducks said Lyla was a driving force behind its phenomenal growth over the next six decades, setting up relationships with customers around the world.
"Lyla was an astute, innovative business woman ahead of her time and will be sadly missed by all of those who knew her both at home and abroad."
As well as providing employment for hundreds of families in the border area, Mrs Steele contributed to wider economic, social and reconciliation efforts as a board member of the International Fund for Ireland.
Lyla Steele (née Brady) died on March 9. Predeceased by her husband in 2019, she is survived by her children Christina, Orla, Fenella and Stuart.