MANASQUAN — Friends and family of a beloved kindergarten teacher gathered at Mac’s Pond in Manasquan on Saturday morning to dedicate a memorial bench in her honor.
Maryann Apostolou, a kindergarten teacher for over 30 years at schools including at Sea Girt Elementary and Hill & Dale School, died on May 19 at age 69 from ovarian cancer. Meg Cheer, a close friend of Apostolous, explained how the idea came about from a group of her best friends who came together to honor her.
“We’ve been friends for over 45 years; all our children grew up together,” said Cheer. “When she passed away, we wanted something to memorialize her…We worked with the town a little bit and we found out that you have to have worked with the town (to have a bench dedicated); so we put Mark’s (Maryann’s husband’s) name on the other side.”
“There were 10 of us — her girlfriends — that purchased the bench,” she said. “We all loved her so much. The bench was just placed this week, and we wanted to have a dedication with everyone since the weather was going to be so nice.”
Mark T. Apostolou, a former municipal court judge and husband to Maryann for 45 years, spoke at the dedication and found comfort in the amount of loved ones present Saturday to celebrate her life.
“First of all, let me thank you,” said Apostolou, “for being here to honor the spirit of that beautiful girl that we all loved. And I’d like to thank all of you for the wonderful gift that has been bestowed upon us and the town — what a beautiful setting this is for Maryann. I can’t tell you how much she loved each and every one of you; how much she appreciated each and every one of you.”
Sitting against the newly-commemorated bench, Apostolou told The Coast Star about some of the things that brought joy to his wife.
“She was a kindergarten teacher, so she had a love for children — from the moment I met her,” he said. “We met when we were 16 years old; she was just the kindest, sweetest person. She was a giving human being, she saw the best in everyone, always, and she never spoke ill of another human being. Whenever anyone was in need, she was the first person who would be there to help.”
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