Mary Sherlach: Sandy Hook school psychologist preparing for retirement

One of the six adults to have died in the Newtown school shooting was a long-serving member of staff, familiar to students and parents.

Mary Sherlach, the 56-year-old school psychologist, had worked at the Sandy Hook elementary school for 18 years, giving support and guidance to the young children.

Sherlach's website gives evidence of a life dedicated to her profession. A master's and a sixth year professional degree from Southern Connecticut State University followed an undergraduate degree in psychology from SUNY Cortland.

Before starting at Sandy Hook in 1994, she worked in three other school districts.

"She wanted to help kids get over their problems and go on to be successful," her son-in-law Eric Schwartz told the Newtown Patch.

A freelance writer for the newspaper, Schwartz said that the family were in shock.

"I still don't think anyone's fully grasped it. It doesn't feel real. It's hard to wrap your head around it," the Patch reported.

Sherlach's website also gives testimony of a happy life outside work.

Married for 31 years to husband Bill, the pair have two daughters aged 25 and 28. The New York Times reported that the couple lived in Trumbull, Connecticut.

John Button, 57, a friend of Sherlach's husband, told the New York Times that she was preparing for retirement. "It was going to be her last year — that's what she said," he said. "She loved her job. She's done this for her whole career."

When not at work, the couple enjoyed "spending time at our lake house in the Finger Lakes," Sherlach wrote on her website, adding: "My hobbies include gardening, reading and the theater."

But the overarching image that emerges is of a woman who loved her work. She wrote: "I truly enjoy working with the SHS (Sandy Hook School) staff, parents and children and am always ready to assist in problem solving, intervention and prevention."

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