Obituary of Maria T. Harrison

Maria T. Harrison (nee Preite) of Short Hills, N.J., died on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, surrounded by her family. She was 56. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at St. Rose Of Lima Church, 50 Short Hills Ave., Short Hills, on Tuesday, Jan. 5, at 10 a.m. Visitation will take place at St. Rose of Lima Church today, Monday, from 4 to 8 p.m., with interment also at St. Rose of Lima. Arrangements are provided by the Jacob A. Holle Funeral Home in Maplewood, N.J. Maria was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and lived in Short Hills for the past 25 years. She graduated from St. John's University with a B.A., which led her to pursue a master's in education at Caldwell University. Maria was a firm believer in the potential of others and dedicated her life to helping them achieve it. Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch appointed her to serve on the N.Y.C. Commission on the Status of Women, where she advocated for gender equality through dialogue and policy proposals. She later spent a decade as an elementary school teacher for Ecole Toussaint Louverture, a public elementary school in East Orange, N.J. In addition to her commitment to education, she was an active parishioner and a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of St. Rose of Lima Church. Maria was the beloved wife of Edmond Harrison, devoted mother of Meghan and E.J. Harrison, loving daughter of Joseph Preite and the late Gloria Mercorella Preite, and dear sister of Ralph Preite. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Look Good Feel Better at lookgoodfeelbetter.org.