WETHERSFIELD, Conn. — As the community continues to mourn the passing of Wethersfield volunteer firefighter and school district employee Robert "Sharkey" Sharkevich, Sr., Wethersfield Public Schools made an important announcement Thursday evening.
In an email to families, Wethersfield Superintendent Michael Emmett said that the town's public schools will be closed on Monday, Oct. 28 in observance of Sharkevich’s funeral.
“We anticipate that many staff members will wish to attend the service. We also anticipate there will be traffic impacts,” Emmett wrote. “We expect to receive additional information regarding services tomorrow. However, I wanted to tell you this evening to provide you as much time to plan for Monday as possible.”
Sharkevich, a retired career Hartford firefighter, was serving as a Wethersfield firefighter in a volunteer capacity when he went to assist crews battling the Hawthorne Fire, a brush fire that is ongoing in Berlin.
On Tuesday, Sharkevich was killed when a utility task vehicle he was onboard rolled over on a trail near Meriden. Three other firefighters in the vehicle were injured, hospitalized and have since been released.
In addition to being a parent and grandparent of students, Sharkevich worked for the past four years as a Physical Services Carpenter in the school district.
Counseling has been made available at Wethersfield Public Schools for grieving students and staff.
Sharkevich's wake is scheduled for Sunday from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Farley-Sullivan Funeral Home, 34 Beaver Road, Wethersfield.
Sharkevich’s funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Monday at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford at 140 Farmington Avenue.
Sharkevich will be buried in Rocky Hill at Rose Hill Memorial Park.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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