Fairfield Preschool Teacher To Get Memorial After Cancer Death

FAIRFIELD, CT — A beloved Fairfield preschool teacher who died recently after her second battle with breast cancer will be remembered with a memorial, to be dedicated later this summer.

Known to her students as Ms. Dee, Deanna Marie Herlihy ran Curiosity Corner preschool for roughly two decades before she was forced to close the school last year due to her illness. She was 61 when she died June 4, according to her obituary in the Connecticut Post.

Herlihy’s sister, Debra Cingari, and friend, Amanda Morgan Parrish, contacted the town, which approved the memorial just 10 days after her death, according to Herlihy’s niece, Breanna Suden. The memorial’s location is still being finalized, but it will include a bench.

“It will serve as a place for family, friends and members of the community to gather and reminisce on the memorable moments they shared with Ms. Dee,” Suden said in an email.

Herlihy was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, which spread to her bones and lungs, after more than 20 years in remission, according to Suden. In addition to being a preschool teacher, she was a grandmother and a nature lover.

Herlihy’s family is accepting donations, letters and photographs for the memorial. Former Curiosity Corner students and community members who would like to show support can email backonmybike@gmail.com.