Obituary of Maureen Haberer

Maureen Hastings Haberer, age 90 years old, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Sunday, March 22, 2015. Born in Queens, NY, she was a resident of Ramsey since 1956 and lived in Vermont for ten years. She took her Bachelor's Degree from St. Joseph's College for Women in Brooklyn where she was elected to Sigma Iota Chi, college honor society, and to Mercier Circle, honorary philosophy club. Maureen took her Master's Degree in Child Development from Teacher's College, Columbia University. Before retiring in 1984, Maureen was Professor of Child Psychology at Rockland Community College (RCC), S.U.N.Y., Suffern, NY. She was founding chairperson of the Department of Psychology and President of the RCC Faculty Association. Maureen initiated remedial courses in reading and study skills, participated in the creation of the College Foundations Program and remained involved as counselor and instructor until 1976. She was the recipient of the Annual Pacem In Terris award by the Newman Community of RCC. Maureen founded and directed The Live and Learn Center in the college's Spring Valley satellite. Maureen conducted this program for children aged 4 months to 4 years while teaching their mothers general and child psychology. The center served as a daycare program for the children and a training laboratory for their mothers and other students. In the 1960's - 70's, Maureen was co-founder and Director of the Hilltop Playschool, Stag Hill in Mahwah, for Ramapo Mountain Children, ages 3 through 15. An accomplished pianist, Maureen composed several hundred songs including the score for a musical, "So This is Ramsey," which was performed by The Ramsey Players in the 1960's. She often provided accompaniment for fashion shows, carol sing-a-longs, and choral groups. Maureen now sings and dances in heaven, where she landed a half hour before the devil knew she was dead! Survivors include her four children: Margaret Tobi Doty (Stephen), Elizabeth "Beth" Anne Beale (Norman), John "Jack" Henry Haberer, Jr., (Barbie), and Geoffrey Hastings Haberer (Peggy); nine grandchildren: Scott (Ashley), Alissa, Brian, Kevin, Amresa, David B., David H. (Marinda), Kelly and Heleena; and five great grandchildren: Jonathan, Nyah, Jacob, Alejaya and Teadora. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, March 25, 2015, from 6 - 8 pm with the funeral service beginning at 8:00 pm at Vander Plaat Funeral Home, (vpfh.com), 257 Godwin Ave., Wyckoff. The interment will be private. Contributions in Maureen's memory may be made to the Ramapough Lenape Tribal Office, 189 Stag Hill Rd., Mahwah, N.J. 07430 (ramapoughlenapenation.org); or to House of Light Children's Home in Nepal, c/o Health Environmental and Learning Program, Inc. (H.E.L.P.), 18648 Snowy Plover Circle, Anchorage, AK 99516 (missionforhelp.org).