A woman allegedly murdered by her daughter has been remembered as a kind-hearted wife and mother, whose passion for childcare made her a "surrogate parent" to countless Canberra children.
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Those closest to Cheryl Woutersz, 56, are still coming to grips with her tragic death, but hope the childcare legacy she built in Canberra will live on long after the circumstances of her killing fade from memory.
Her daughter, Gabriela Woutersz, 23, has pleaded not guilty to the alleged murder at the family home in Dunlop last Friday, and is currently being held in hospital for further mental health assessments.
Mrs Woutersz's husband Keith Woutersz spoke on Wednesday of his wife's love for her family, and of the many years she dedicated to caring for children, including through the Montessori day care centre she founded in Gordon in the early 1990s.
"Cheryl was a loving, caring, dedicated wife and mother and also a mother and friend to many others through her work in child day care," he said in a statement on Wednesday.
"She was a generous-hearted woman who was a surrogate parent to the mothers that would bring their children to her to look after."
Mr Woutersz said his wife had been an inspiration to many people, and was someone who treated the children she cared for as her own.
Childcare was her passion, he said, and was always much more than just a business to her.
Mrs Woutersz's daughter was arrested after the body was found on Friday, and faced the ACT Magistrates Court for the first time the next morning.
Legal Aid lawyer Jacob Robertson said on Tuesday his client intended to fight the allegation, and a plea of not guilty was accepted by Magistrate Karen Fryar.
Mr Woutersz and other relatives are being supported by Victim Support ACT, and Victims of Crime Commissioner John Hinchey spoke with them on Wednesday morning.
"The family are very sad. They want Cheryl to be remembered in a positive light because Cheryl was a very positive and bright person," Mr Hinchey said.
"But of course they are very sad about the circumstances of her death and the situation this family has been left in, in coping with her loss."
He said Mrs Woutersz should be remembered for what she helped build for the city.
"I would observe that Cheryl Woutersz has left a significant legacy in our community through her gentleness, and passion and love for others, and that there are many who are keenly feeling her loss this week," Mr Hinchey said.
The case is due to come back before the ACT Magistrates Court once further mental health assessments of the accused are completed.
Few details about the murder itself have so far emerged in court.
A large group of family and friends watched proceedings on Tuesday, some comforting each other as they looked on.
Mr Robertson said there were no current issues with the defendant's fitness to plead, despite the ongoing mental health assessments and suggestions from an earlier defence lawyer on Saturday that she may suffer from bipolar disorder.
