Lauren M. Maisano, 64, of Endwell, NY, peacefully went home to be with Jesus after a brief but courageous battle with pancreatic cancer on February 6th, 2024. She was surrounded by her loving family. Lauren previously beat breast cancer in 2009 and was incredibly proud of her 15 years of remission.
She was predeceased by her parents, Frank and Emily Maisano. Survived by her daughter, Kristen Wilcox, her son Kevin M. (Amber) Wilcox, and her grandson Ethan Wilcox, who was her absolute pride and joy. She is also survived by her sister Dayna (John) Bergen and her nieces Christina and Katelyn, along with many cousins and friends.
Lauren was born on December 28th, 1959, in Brooklyn, NY. She graduated from John Adams High School in Queens, NY and went on to receive her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from St. Bonaventure University and her Master’s in Literacy from Binghamton University. Lauren was an Elementary Reading Specialist in the Union-Endicott Central School District for 32 years, where she helped so many children learn and love to read. She was an adjunct professor at Binghamton University’s School of Education. Outside of school, Lauren was a religious education teacher at one time, as well as a current leader of RCIA at the Church of the Holy Family. As a lifelong learner, Lauren used her free time to tutor children and assist them in reaching their reading goals.
Outside of her profession, Lauren adored spending time with her family and many friends. She loved shopping day trips, being outside in the sun, traveling with her college friends, gardening, and events with her children. Lauren devoted many hours to her Catholic faith. She spent much of her weekends attending mass and volunteering in various capacities at Church of the Holy Family. Her faith was unwavering, and she truly embodied the idea of living her life as Jesus would.
Most of all, upon her retirement , she met the light of her life, her grandson, Ethan. Fondly referred to as LTG (Little Tiny Grammie), she spent every day over the last three and a half years loving him unconditionally. She referred to her home as LTGDC (Little Tiny Grammie Day Care) where she applied her love for learning and teaching to helping him learn and grow into the smart and loving little boy he is today. She enjoyed watching Ethan’s excitement at places like the pumpkin farm, the zoo, school events, holidays, the park, and so much more with her family by her side.
Lauren was a parishioner of the Church of the Holy Family, a volunteer at Charles F. Johnson in her retirement, a member of the Lourdes Auxiliary, and a member of the Independent Mutual Aid Association.
The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff at UHS Wilson Hospital and Upstate Medical University Hospital for their lifesaving efforts for the most treasured, kind, beautiful person.
Calling hours will be Monday, February 12th from 10-11 AM at the Church of the Holy Family, at 3600 Phyllis St. in Endwell, NY, with funeral and burial to follow. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to The Joe Santacrose Foundation. This foundation as well as those behind it, meant a lot to Lauren.
Mom/LTM/LTG/Grammie, we love you more than we can ever put into words. We will miss you each and every day. We will always remember your kind and encouraging words of advice and wisdom. We will try our best to live our lives the way you did. We will choose not to live our lives counting the days without you, but rather knowing we are one day closer to seeing you again.
And remember, “Always choose kind.”