Marjorie Maas

Marjorie (O'Connor) Maas, age 87, of Manchester, Vermont passed peacefully in her home on October 13, 2016. She is predeceased by her husband, Frederick J. Maas and sister Joan (O'Connor) Casey. She is survived by her six children, Frederick J. Maas, Jr. and his wife Helen (Pohlman) of Phillipsburg, NJ, Joanne Maas Locke and her husband Jeffrey A. Locke of Wellesley, MA, Rita M. Maas and her husband Jeffrey Saks of Chappaqua, NY, Joseph C. Maas and his wife Eileen (Joyce) of Smithtown, NY, George E. Maas and his wife Karlene (Zeitler) of Flower Mound, TX and Maureen B. Maas of Wayland, MA. Marjorie is also survived by her grandchildren James P. Sweeney of Los Angeles, CA, Katherine T. Sweeney of Wellesley, MA, Oliver J. Saks of Los Angeles, CA, Geoffrey E. Maas of Dallas, TX, Connor H. Maas of Austin, TX, Casey C. Maas of Flower Mound, TX and Ian Pohlman and his wife Marjorie of New Holland, PA. Marjorie leaves her brother John O'Connor of New York City, her sisters-in-law Marion Maas and Jeanne (Maas) Leonard, her brother-in-law Jerry Leonard and many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews.Born in 1929 in New York City to Irish immigrants Herbert O'Connor and Maureen (McHugh) from Strokestown in County Roscommon, she grew up in New York City and Manhasset on Long Island. Marjorie attended Marymount College and, upon attending the graduations of her eldest children in the mid 70's, decided she would not be the only family member without a college degree so she returned to college and earned her Bachelor's degree from Adelphi University when she was 50 years old. She later earned a Masters of Arts in Theology from the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, NY. Marjorie raised their six children on Long Island, first in Lindenhurst, where her husband, Fred, owned and managed Barnacle Bill's Restaurant, a landmark seafood restaurant, and later in West Islip. In 1988, Marge and Fred retired to Vermont and, since 2013 Marjorie has lived at Equinox Village in Manchester. Faith and family were the cornerstones of Marjorie's life. She was the household engineer, social director, travel planner, life coordinator, dream facilitator and the glue that held the family together. Her sense of purpose and perseverance, combined with her creativity, boundless energy, and sense of humor with a tinge of silliness, exemplified a life of joy and meaningful service. She showed her children how to live and to always try to do the right thing.Marjorie had a keen intellect, was always up on current affairs, enjoyed lively discussions and loved to entertain and to travel. She was a superb seamstress, knitter and quilter and was always a member of a book club. Marge enjoyed challenging bridge games and she belonged to several bridge clubs over the years. An avid gardener, she created the gardens in each of her homes and her plants continue to grow in the gardens of her children.Deeply religious, Marjorie sought serenity in serving others and bettering her corner of the world. On Long Island, she was part of the first wave of lay Lectors in 1975 in St. Joseph's in Babylon. In Vermont, Marge was a founding member of the Community Food Cupboard in Manchester and a longtime volunteer with Meals on Wheels, Neighbor-to-Neighbor, the Martha Canfield Library and the Arlington Garden Club. An active parishioner at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Manchester, Marge served on the Interfaith Council, facilitated Bible classes, and was a Lector and Eucharistic Minister for many years.After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last December, Marjorie faced her final months with courage, a bit of stubbornness, a sense of humor, dignity and above all, serenity, peace and grace. Her final gift to her children was sharing her journey thus far, as she prepared to enter the next realm.Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, October 19th from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Brewsters-Shea Funeral Home, 34 Park Place, Manchester, Vermont. A funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, October 20th at 11:00 AM at St. Paul's/Christ Our Savior Parish, 398 Bonnet Street, Manchester Center, Vermont followed by a celebration of Marge's life at Equinox Village, 49 Maple St. in Manchester Center. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Manchester Health Services, Habitat for Humanity Bennington Area, Community Food Cupboard or St. Paul's/Christ Our Savior Parish c/o Brewster-Shea Funeral Services P.O. Box 885 Manchester Center, VT 05255 Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, October 19th from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Brewsters-Shea Funeral Home, 34 Park Place, Manchester, Vermont. A funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, October 20th at 11:00 AM at St. Paul's/Christ Our Savior Parish, 398 Bonnet Street, Manchester Center, Vermont followed by a celebration of Marge's life at Equinox Village, 49 Maple St. in Manchester Center. Internment will be held Friday October 21st at the Randolph Veterans Cemetery at 11am