Susan Maher, longtime Uniontown treasurer, remembered
Susan Maher was a dedicated and respected elected official and employee known for her sense of humor during the 32 years she worked for the city of Uniontown.
A mother of two and grandmother of five who began raising money for Parkinson’s disease research following the death of her husband five years ago, Maher died following a sudden illness in Uniontown Hospital on Tuesday. She was 68.
Her eldest son, Jerry Maher of Butler, said the condolences the family has received from people whose lives she touched has been heartening.
“We appreciate the outpouring of support. It makes us feel good that she was so cared about and that she made a positive impact,” he said.
Maher was the city controller from 1975 to 1981 and then served as treasurer from 1981 to 2007. After deciding not to seek another term in office, she was appointed to the Uniontown Redevelopment Authority board of directors. She remained on the board until her death. She also served on the authority’s housing rehabilitation review board.
Mayor Ed Fike described her as a great person and said her knowledge of city government made appointing her to the authority board an easy decision for him to make.
“I’ve know Susan Maher practically my whole life. What a great person. She was one of the finest ladies. She did a superb job. She was very knowledgeable in government affairs. She knew how the city operated. She would have been a terrific mayor,” Fike said. “Any question I had when I took office, I’d call her. I owe a lot to Susan for the help she gave me. Even though we were different parties, we were one of the same as far as I’m concerned.”
Another city official who benefited from Maher’s experience is Joseph Giachetti, who succeeded her as treasurer.
He also said that even though Maher was a Republican and he is a Democrat, she willingly helped him learn the treasurer’s job.
“I knew nothing about tax collection. She sat with me and showed me everything” Giachetti said. “She said, ‘Just relax. You’ll be fine.’ She was a phenomenal person. She helped me very much. She knew this office inside out. She was a perfectionist in her work. She was loved by everybody. She was a legend in City Hall.”
Fike, who sat next to Maher during authority meetings, said her death came as a shock.
“She was a very good board member. She was very forward-thinking. We all liked her. She was interested in everything. Her attendance was excellent. She did a very good job for us. She’s really gonna be missed,” said John Oris, chairman of the authority board. “Personally, I really had a great regard for her. She was an honest, forthright person. I’m gonna miss her.”
He said he and other board members quickly gained respect for Maher because she wasn’t afraid to disagree.
“We were fortunate to get her after she retried from city treasurer’s office,” Oris said.
“She was a great board member. She cared about the city,” said Mark Yauger, authority executive director. “I enjoyed working with her. She had a good working knowledge of the city. She knew a lot of people in the city and knew the neighborhoods.”
“We lost a great lady in our community,” Giachetti said.
City Councilman Blair Jones Sr. said he knew Maher for many years and he will miss her. He said their families lived near each other in the city and were very close. Maher’s maiden name was Susan Hill.
“She was a very fine lady and was very kindhearted,” Jones said. “I don’t know anyone who could say anything bad about her. We’re sure going to miss her. The city certainly is going to miss her.”
Maher’s son, Jerry Maher, said people close to her knew about her sense of humor and affinity for practical jokes, but they might not have seen her ornery side.
“Not many people outside the family knew about her orneriness,” he said.
Some may have forgotten that she served as the late Sen. John Heinz’ campaign chairman in Fayette County in the 1970s, he said.
Many people knew she developed a love for golf, he said, but few probably remember that she was on her high school swimming team.
She was active in her church, St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, and always put the needs of others ahead of hers, he said.
“She was a very passionate person,” he said. “She was like a rock. We would go to her. She would never come to us. She didn’t want people taking care of her.”
Her husband Gerald “Jerry” Maher died from Parkinson’s disease in 2007. She cared for her husband while he suffered from the disease during the last couple years of his life.
After he died, she started the Jerry Maher Memorial 5K race in Uniontown. Proceeds from the race are given to the Parkinson’s Foundation of Western Pennsylvania for research.
“This year it will have a special meaning since mom won’t be there,” her son said.
She enjoyed spending time with his three children and his brother Roger’s two children, he said.
“She loved her grandkids and loved spending time with them,” he said.
Maher was the oldest of nine children and was especially close with her sister, Beth Mahoney, he said.