Obituary of Susan M Maitner

RANDOLPH NJ---Susan Abbott Maitner, of Randolph, NJ, passed away peacefully on August 21, 2024, surrounded by her loving family and friends. Susan was born on December 13, 1949 to her parents, the late Dorothea and Robert Abbott. Susan was the eldest of the couple’s two children, and the relationship she shared with her brother was a classic sibling bond formed by laughter and shared history. “We would tease each other often. I was always her ‘little’ brother, and she was my ‘big’ sister,” said Robert Abbott.

Susan graduated from Moore Catholic High School in Staten Island, and later received her bachelor’s degree from St. Peter’s College. Susan resided in Randolph, NJ for many years and enjoyed memorable days at the Abbott family vacation home in Highlands, NJ.

Those who knew Susan remember her complete devotion to her only child, son Robert E. Maitner, Jr. (her beloved “Bobby”). From the time of Bobby’s birth to the day of her death, Susan considered being Bobby’s mother the greatest blessing of her life. In 1988, Bobby predeceased his mother at the age of 17, after being involved in a car accident. Susan cared deeply and felt immense empathy and compassion for parents who had suffered a similar, heartbreaking loss. She once shared, “It has always seemed to me that just one mother’s pain over the death of her child is more than the world can bear.”

Susan’s profound loss of Bobby led her on a journey towards further enlightenment. Susan immersed herself in her faith and academic growth. She received a master’s degree from Fordham University, graduated from Blanton Peale Graduate Institute, and became a psychotherapist and pastoral counselor. “She channeled her pain and grief into becoming a kind therapist and loving friend,” said friend Marian Donnelly. Another dear friend, Karen Loveys, described Susan’s loss of Bobby, as “suffering the unthinkable, yet in time, she transformed her life into life giving water.” Susan first became a bereavement minister at Resurrection Parish in Randolph, NJ. At St. Matthew the Apostle Parish in Randolph, NJ, Susan was a Eucharistic Minister, a founding member of Cornerstone (Team I), and a member of the bereavement group Sorrowful Mothers. Susan was also a member of Compassionate Friends, a worldwide support organization for bereaved parents.

Susan gave her time selflessly to the community, with a special emphasis on education, art and creativity. Susan was elected to the Randolph Township Board of Education and served from 1990-1992, where she used her exceptional communication and interpersonal skills to further goals focused on student achievement and staff enrichment. Susan established the Robert E. Maitner, Jr. Art Scholarship fund in memory of Bobby, and was instrumental in the creation of a post-Hurricane Sandy mural by Randolph High School students in the shore town of Belmar, NJ. Susan was also involved in the restoration of parks in Highlands, NJ and was a member of the Highlands Garden Club. Additionally, Susan served on the Board of Trustees of Interweave Interfaith Learning Center in Summit, NJ, where she led many presentations for the Interweave community, including “The Soul of Grief: Expression of the Heart Through Art.”

Susan described herself as mother, writer, poet and animal lover. All who knew Susan agree that she excelled in all of these categories and many more.

In addition to her brother Robert, Susan is survived by her sweet cat James and countless friends who adored her. In addition to her son Bobby and her parents Robert and Dorothea, Susan is preceded in death by her cats Satrick and Kyrie.

Friends are invited to visit at Tuttle Funeral Home, 272 Highway 10, Randolph, NJ on Friday, August 23, 2024 from 4pm-8pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Resurrection Parish, 651 Millbrook Avenue, Randolph, NJ, on Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 10:30am. The Rite of Committal and burial will be at Holy Rood Cemetery, Morristown, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations in Susan’s name may be made to the Randolph Regional Animal Shelter (www.randolphregionalanimalshelter.org).