SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — The slain wife of former Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Lance Mason was a beloved school teacher at Woodbury Elementary School, friends and colleagues said Saturday after her death.

Aisha Fraser Mason, 44, worked for Shaker Heights Schools for 16 years and was most recently a sixth-grade teacher at Woodbury.

“She was a very sweet lady,” said Kelli Glass, a former babysitter for the Masons' two daughters ages 11 and 8. “She loved her job, she loved her kids. Her girls were her whole life.

“They are the nicest kids you’d ever meet,” Glass added. “They are great kids. Adorable.”

Shaker Heights police reported that Fraser Mason was fatally stabbed Saturday morning by her estranged husband at his home. Mason, 51, a member of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson’s administration, was arrested and taken to a hospital after he crashed into a police cruiser, sending an officer to the hospital, police said.

Jackson fired Mason on Saturday after Mason’s arrest.

The Shaker Heights Teacher’s Association said in a statement that the district’s teachers are in deep mourning and that they will help with Fraser Mason’s children, her extended family, students and colleagues.

“Aisha exemplified the best of Shaker Heights Teachers; smart, amazingly caring of her students and her colleagues, active in her profession and in Our Association,” the statement said. “She is loved by many.”

Shaker Heights Superintendent Stephen Wilkins said in a statement that Fraser Mason was a devoted mother and a committed teacher.

“She touched so many of our children’s lives and will be deeply missed,” Wilkins' statement said. “Her loss is unexpected and the impact of this news on our entire school community is unimaginable and profound.”

The Masons' 11-year-old daughter, Audrey, has Down syndrome and had open-heart surgery when she was 8 months old in order to repair a hole in her heart. The couple opened Audrey’s Chocolate shop in 2012 to honor their daughter, help provide extra income for Audrey’s medical expenses and to eventually employ those with Down syndrome, according to Plain Dealer archives.

A family member reached on Saturday said she did not want to comment.

Another family friend, Cheryl Peavy, described Fraser Mason as someone with a magnetic personality who was funny and kind.

“You really had to meet her to know what she was like,” Peavy said. “She was as likable as it gets.”

The Shaker Heights Teacher’s Association set up a gofundme.com account with the proceeds going to the two daughters.

Correction: The post is updated to reflect the stabbing happened at Mason’s Shaker Heights home, not Fraser Mason’s. Court records show that the address of the stabbing was Mason’s home. Shaker Heights police as of 12:30 p.m. Monday have not answered questions seeking clarification.