At funeral, Colleen Ritzer’s passion for teaching recalled

"ANDOVER — With hundreds of students in the pews, beloved Danvers High School teacher Colleen Ritzer, who was allegedly murdered by a student last week, was mourned in a funeral Mass this morning at St. Augustine’s Church.

An estimated 1,000 people, including 400 students, attended the service, which began at about 10 a.m. after her casket was carried into the church by her cousins.

In a eulogy, one of her cousins, Gina McDaniel, described Ritzer’s passion for education as one of the hallmarks of the 24-year-old’s life."