Andrea “AJ” Sherman died shortly after 3:15 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 29, in a crash on Baldwin Street in Waterbury. The collision sent two others to the hospital and has police searching for a third driver who fled the scene before officers arrived.
As word of her death spread on social media, tributes poured in for the devoted Waterbury mom of two.
"Andrea, my mother, was easily the most genuine person you could ever come across," her daughter Shay Green wrote on Facebook. "It is because of her that I know true love exists. She gave every part of herself to every person she loved, and she loved them so fiercely and limitlessly."
Born in Bridgeport, Sherman grew up in Waterbury, attending Wilby High School before dedicating her life to helping others as a home health aide. Her obituary described her as someone “whose empathy and caring were a blessing to so many.”
Sherman’s funeral is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 3, at Casey's Eastside Memorial Funeral Home, 1987 East Main Street, Waterbury, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
A GoFundMe to help pay for the funeral has raised more than $2,500 of it's $10,000 goal as of Tuesday evening. Click here for more information on that fundraiser.
A celebration of life will follow at 7:30 p.m. at Winn-Dixie’s Café, 1575 Thomaston Ave. Green said her mother would have wanted friends and family to gather, share happy memories, and reflect on the joy she brought to their lives.
Many of those stories will undoubtedly discuss her unwavering love for her daughters and her role as a protector for those close to her. According to her obituary, she “lived her life for” her daughters, ShayLynn Sherman and Che’Vonne Johnson Sherman.
"May she watch over us all and be our angel," her loved ones wrote. "She will be greatly missed by all who were blessed to know and love her."
Meanwhile, Waterbury police continue to search for a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which investigators say fled the scene of the crash. They urge anyone with information about the vehicle or its occupants to contact authorities at (203) 346-3975.
To read Andrea Sherman's obituary, click here.
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