OBITUARIES

College librarian Josephine Maher

Posted

Josephine “Jo” Maher died Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020. She was 91.

The daughter of Catherine and Edward McDonald, she was a proud lifelong resident of the Bronx. She was a graduate of St. Augustine Elementary School and St. Cathedral High School.

She married Thomas Maher at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in 1953. He preceded her in death in 1983.

A beloved mother, Grammy and GiGi, she is survived by her sister Maureen Canavan (Jim). She also is survived by four children, JoAnne (Bruce) Courage, Kevin (Kathryn) Maher, Dennis Maher, and Mary T. (Kevin) Maher, and six grandchildren: Jacquelynn (Sean) Hobbs, Kourtney Maher, Brittany Maher, Alexandra (Michael) Cronin, Richard Courage and John Paul Maher. She’s also survived by two great-grandsons, Kieran and Liam Hobbs.

She joins her beloved brother Edmond, son Thomas Jr., and grandson Kevin in eternal rest with the Lord.

Once described by her coworkers as “the China teacup among all the coffee mugs,” she worked at the Manhattan College library from 1971 until her retirement 25 years later. She frequently could be found checking out students’ books at the circulation desk, or researching materials for faculty members — that is when she wasn’t swapping some gossip with “the gals” in the break room.

Never happier than when she was getting some good sun, if she wasn’t making her way up West 238th Street to Johnson Avenue, she enjoyed her many girls’ trips to the beach with her dear friends at Spring Lake or Breezy Point, or traveling near and far with the St. Margaret’s Leisure Club.

Funeral Mass was held on Nov. 6 at St. Gabriel’s Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Manhattan College, the Hunter syndrome society at MPSSociety.org, or your local health care organization.

Josephine "Jo" Maher,