A heroic teacher’s aide who died shielding a student during the Sandy Hook school massacre was buried wearing the engagement ring she was supposed to get for Christmas, her grieving sister revealed yesterday.
Rachel D’Avino’s boyfriend got permission to propose from her parents and was planning to pop the question on Christmas Eve.
But Tony Cerritelli’s romantic dreams were shattered by madman Adam Lanza, who gunned down 29-year-old Rachel and 26 others — including 20 kids — in the Dec. 14 bloodbath in Newtown.
It was one of a series of memorials and services held in the stricken town yesterday.
Rachel’s younger sister, Sarah, said the ring was an heirloom that had been in the D’Avino family for generations.
“It was our Italian grandmother’s. Being the oldest it was supposed to be hers,” Sarah said. “Tony swiped it, had it cleaned up and replaced the diamonds.
“She’s wearing it now.”
Sarah, 25, and her parents spent part of the day at the scene of the shooting, adding several mementos to the hundreds of stuffed animals, crosses and angels across from the still-shuttered elementary school.
“We brought Rachel stuffed animals and music boxes from her first Christmas,” she said.
At a memorial at the Newtown Town Hall, Arizona resident and elementary-school teacher Faith Leonard, 30, was handing out cookies and wrapped gifts.
“I got in the car on Friday and came here. My family is in the Midwest, but they’re allowing me to share my heart with this community,” she said.
Newtown HS football coach Mike Connors, 43, brought his wife, Veronica, and children Calista and Gavin to the Town Hall memorial.
“Normally, we’re with friends and family, but we’re doing it to pay our respects,” said Connors, who has coached the older siblings of some shooting victims.
Town resident Sherri Venticinque-Presti, 49, wept as she described how the massacre had affected her Christmas.
“We had family over last night and there were tears all around. It was hard,” she said.
Earlier, parishioners sought solace during a standing-room-only Christmas Mass at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church.
The Rev. Luke Suarez said, “This is the first Christmas . . . that I really understand what it’s all about . . . Today we celebrate the birth of our savior who came to get rid of the pain that’s right now in our hearts.”
Meanwhile, weary local cops got the day off, courtesy of surrounding police departments that provided personnel.
“We’re a brotherhood, and they’re going through a hard time,” Stratford, Conn., Detective Bill Perrilo said.