The Irreplaceable Nora Maier
is Still Missed
In the sometimes rough and tumble world of the Huntington School District and its internal and external politics, few people commanded the respect of those on either side of any particular issue as did Nora M. Maier.
A four-term member of the Huntington School Board, Mrs. Maier passed away 10 years ago this month after a courageous battle against pancreatic cancer. She is still missed and still remembered by teachers, administrators and parents.
"Nora was irreplaceable," Huntington Superintendent John J. Finello said. "She was a lady, first and foremost and was the most pleasant and supportive friend anyone could hope to have."
Mrs. Maier grew up in Floral Park and went on to earn a bachelor's degree at Albany College of Pharmacy. She married her high school sweetheart, Jeffrey Maier in 1969. The two had a storybook love affair that lasted more than three decades.
After Mr. Maier finished his military commitment at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana, the couple returned to New York and found their way to Huntington in 1974. It wasn't long before Mrs. Maier began volunteering in the schools, forging a close working relationship with Huntington Elementary School Principal Stephen Good. She rose through the ranks of the school's parent teacher organization (PTO), eventually becoming its president.
It was while teaching at Huntington El that Mr. Finello first met Mrs. Maier. "Nora was so well-liked by everyone around the school," Mr. Finello recalled. "She worked hard with the faculty and staff to make it the very best school it could be."
As Mrs. Maier became more involved in the district, she was overwhelmingly elected to the Huntington School Board in 1985 and was later re-elected three times, serving through June 1997. She rose to serve as that body's vice-president and then president, playing an integral role in the development of district policy and the establishment of new courses, programs and curriculums.
The Maier's doted on their children, Daniel and Caitlin, encouraging them and supporting their every pursuit. Mrs. Maier could be seen at tennis matches, volleyball meets and basketball games, reading during downtime and cheering with other parents when the action picked up.
Mrs. Maier also served as co-president of the Blue Devil Marching Band Parents' Assn., headed board of education committees and became a constant presence at district events, from plays and concerts to induction ceremonies and athletic games.
As a Huntington School Board member Mrs. Maier quickly gained the respect of every segment of the school community as someone who could be trusted and a person who "did her homework," Mr. Finello said. "Nora mastered every issue. She became a leader in education on Long Island and in the state."
Ms. Maier was well-known in Albany for her public school advocacy and enjoyed frequent communication with Assemblymen James D. Conte and John J. Flanagan. State officials accustomed to angry letters and people shouting at them, welcomed Mrs. Maier's dignified and measured manner. "She never went to a meeting unprepared and was articulate on just about any issue," Mr. Finello said.
When she wasn't out and about the school district, Mrs. Maier could be found pursuing her other loves, including volunteering with the Huntington Historical Society and serving as one of its officers, teaching CCD classes for St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church, playing golf, taking walks throughout Huntington Bay and gardening around her stunningly beautiful yard.
Her wonderful Irish sense of humor resulted in endless laughs. Her wit and wisdom were cherished by many. She enjoyed celebrating her children's milestones and accomplishments with family and friends and was a proud mother.
Long active in the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards' Association, Mrs. Maier went to work for the organization after leaving the Huntington School Board. She served as NSSBA executive director until illness forced her to the sidelines.
A voracious reader, Mrs. Maier enjoyed learning the history of the school district and the town. When she was no longer able to get out much, a steady stream of friends came to the Maier house. They were an intensely loyal group and prayed with Mrs. Maier during her excruciating battle with pancreatic cancer.
When she passed away at 53 years of age on Friday, May 18, 2001 at Huntington Hospital, it was a surreal experience for many members of the school community who remembered Mrs. Maier as a strong, vibrant trustee in the prime of life.
A funeral Mass was held on May 21 at St. Patrick's Church in Huntington village with interment following in St. Patrick's Cemetery.
"Ten years ago today, heaven gained a presence of tremendous beauty, influence, wisdom and grace - my beloved mother," Caitlin Joyner said earlier this month. Mrs. Maier's daughter said she has missed her mother "every single day."
Mother and daughter enjoyed an exceedingly close relationship and it was entirely fitting when Mrs. Joyner became an English teacher, first working in Georgia and later in Florida. You can see Mrs. Maier in the face of her grandson, Austin, Mrs. Joyner's son.
"Mom, I see you in so many places . . . in the dragonflies that circle my house; in the dimple of Austin's left cheek; in the joyous kicks of the son growing in my belly; in the enlightened eyes of the students that I teach; and in the embrace of love that you encircled me in for the 23 years that I spent with you," Mrs. Joyner wrote in an online tribute this month. "As a mother myself, I wish that I could show you how grateful I am for the sacrifices that you made on my behalf, but most importantly, know this: I learned how to love—how to truly nurture and inspire—from your example. I love you and am forever indebted to you. How lucky I was, and will always be, to call you Mom."