Obituary of Roberta Maras

Bobbi Maras, 61, of Niskayuna, NY, passed away peacefully just after noon on Friday, February 25, 2011, at Ellis Hospital after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke two days previously. Bobbi was born in Northampton, MA on March 23, 1949, the first child of the late Mildred and Joseph T. Maras. Her early education included the Corpus Christi School on the upper west side in Manhattan, and the Niskayuna School System, where she graduated from Niskayuna H.S. in 1966. She was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and summa cum laude graduate of Skidmore College in 1970, where she also spent a term away studying at Hampton Institute. Bobbi received a master's in education from Harvard University and an Ed.D. in school psychology from Clark University in Worcester, MA. Roberta had an extremely varied working career, beginning as third-grade teacher in the Schenectady City Schools. After receiving her doctorate, she worked as school psychologist for the Niskayuna elementary schools, personnel officer for Mary Bee's Madison North Marketing Communications Agency, school psychologist for the Capital Region BOCES, psychologist for South Central Community Mental Health in Bloomington, IN, victim's advocate for the Monroe County, IN prosecutor's office, psychologist for the Northeast Parent & Child Society, and, finally, school psychologist for the Schenectady H.S. She also did volunteer work in a number of capacities, including serving on the Board of the Capital Region Big Brothers Big Sisters and working with AIDS patients at the Damien Center Hospice in Indianapolis. Roberta is survived by her companion of 19 years and husband for seven, David Lang Wardle; her sister, Pamela Maras Mancini of Fredericksburg, VA; and her younger sister, Paula Maras-Roberts of Anderson, IN. She is also survived by nieces, Sarah Kate Mancini and Lauren Maras-Roberts, and nephews, Michael Mancini and Victor Maras-Roberts. A funeral service will be held at the Daly Funeral Home, 242 McClellan Street, Schenectady, NY 12304, on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 4 p.m., with public viewing from 3 to 4 p.m. Guests are encouraged to share special remembrances of Bobbi. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Joseph T. Maras scholarship fund at Union College (https://www.union.edu/giving/one-time/) or to Skidmore College (http://cms.skidmore. edu/hr/benefits/memorial giftdonation.cfm), in memory of Bobbi.