Teacher Dies On Last Day Of School

A whole community is mourning the loss of a beloved teacher who died of a heart attack just hours after waving goodbye to her last class of fourth graders. After 36 years of teaching Sharon Smith was retiring.
"The last they saw her was waving and blowing kisses and waving at them," says Director of Elementary Education Wayne Odom. On the last day of school he says it's tradition for teachers to wave goodbye to students as they leave for summer vacation. "She walked arm and arm with one of her colleagues and suddenly complained she couldn't breathe," says Odom and just that quick, Smith was dead.
"Her passion was teaching and her children," says older sister Mary Myrick. "If you knew her you had a friend. She was my sister, she was my friend, she was my spiritual partner."
In the last year, Smith lost her husband and her only child. Myrick says what may seem like a tragedy is actually a reunion. "She completed her course. She retired out of what she loved and she went to be home with the ones she loved."
Smith's funeral is scheduled for Thursday. It's the same day she was set to celebrate her 36 years of teaching with a retirement party.