1936 - 2023
John was born in 1936 in queens, always excelled in school and had a love of History and Science. He graduated from High School at age sixteen and attended Fordham University undergraduate and St John’s University for graduate school.
He married Patricia in 1961, and they were married for 62 years. He has 2 daughters, Debbie Mastromatteo (Frank Mastromatteo), a nurse and Caroline Maher, who sadly passed away following a battle with cancer 7/25/23, who was a Suffolk County Police Officer. He also enjoyed his 4 wonderful grandsons Michael, Matthew, Daniel and Robert, and 2 daughters-in-law, Sarah and Carly.
John Maher was a retired Major in the Chemical Corps with the US Army Reserves. He joined the Army Reserves when he was 16 years old. Was commissioned in 1956 and was on active duty from 1956-1959. He was too young for Korea and too old for Vietnam but served in the active reserves from 1957-1977. He was an instructor at the US Army Chemical Corps at Fort McLellan, Alabama and Fort Hamilton, New York. Teaching classes to officers including Generals on Chemical Warfare. Was a military expert in the areas of: Gas, fire, smoke, contagion diseases, atomic warfare, protective equipment, decontamination procedures and marksmanship. He was a trained instructor in pistol licensing and belonged to multiple clubs.
His lifelong career was in Education and was a science teacher, guidance counselor and assistant principal in Middle Schools with the New York City Board of Education from 1956-2001, working a total of 45 years before retirement.
Following retirement, he and Patricia enjoyed traveling to Europe and cruising the Caribbean, spending winters in Florida and summers at the family’s camp in the Adirondacks. He enjoyed spending time playing video games with his grandsons and painting and reading in his spare time. It was not uncommon for him to be reading 4-5 books at a time.
In his final years, he suffered from Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s dementia, slowly taking him from us. He passed peacefully, and we hope he is in a better and happy place now.
VISITATION
Thursday, September 28
2:00 - 4:30 PM & 7:00 - 9:00 PM
New Hyde Park Funeral Home
506 Lakeville Road, New Hyde Park, NY
MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL
Friday, September 29
10:00 AM
St. Anne R.C. Church
35 Dartmouth Street, Garden City, NY
INTERMENT
St. John Cemetery
80-01 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village, NY