Obituary of Alicia A. Manez Maus

Alicia A. (Manez) Maus, of Sloatsburg, NY, and recently Petaluma, CA, died peacefully
surrounded by her family on Saturday, January 10, 2026, after a heroic 2.5 year battle with ovarian
cancer.  She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend to many.
Born on April 5, 1953 in Inglewood, CA, the daughter of Joseph E. and Sylvia M. (Rotella) Manez,
Alicia was raised primarily in Lindenhurst, NY and Massapequa, NY with 3 impactful teenage
years spent in Frankfurt, Germany. A graduate of Plainedge High School, she went on to study
Education at Nassau Community College, earned a Bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo (where
she met her husband Bob), and subsequently earned a Master’s Degree in Special Education of the
Severely Multiple Handicapped from Adelphi University.

As a special education teacher, Alicia worked tirelessly to bring dignity, autonomy, and rights to
those society deemed disposable at a time before civil rights laws protected those with disabilities.
After “retiring” at an early age due to workplace injuries, Alicia turned her focus on raising her two
children with those same values. She continued to teach by example, reaching into the often-
overlooked corners of society, welcoming new immigrants into her various communities,
volunteering at nursing homes, for food banks and for the Special Olympics. She taught her
children and countless others to do the same, acting as a guiding light to so many young hearts and
minds; as a Girl Scout troop leader, a religion teacher, a sports booster parent, and a member of the
Seton Guild. And in the same way she lived her life, she found a way to be a selfless teacher in
death, requesting that her organs be donated to cancer research in the hopes that scientists can better
understand how to treat ovarian cancer, and save other women and families from suffering her same
fate.

Never the one to judge a mistake, always the one to reach out, lend a helping hand, an ear to listen,
a kind smile, or a warm embrace, she was the heart of her family. She spent most of her adult life
caring for her family, enjoying 47 years of marriage with her husband Bob, raising her children
whom she considered to be the best things she ever did in her life and in recent years spending time
in Petaluma, California to be closer to her grandchildren who brought her immeasurable joy. She
loved: to bake, to travel, to dance, to laugh; the ocean wind on her face, warm water and sand
between her toes, but mostly she just loved life, people and with all her heart, her family. She was
steadfast and tough as nails, never complaining or blaming even throughout her illness. In the end
she was still teaching us, about strength and grace and the immense power of love; lessons her
family will carry with them and share for many generations.
 
Alicia is survived by her husband, Robert Maus; her children, Teresa Maus and John Maus (wife
Hannah); and her treasured grandchildren, Mabel and Silas. She is also survived by her
siblings: Joseph R. Manez (wife Kathy), Raymond (wife Joanne), Michael (wife Pat), Patrice
Whalen (husband Rich), and Bob (wife Sue); 20 nieces and nephews; numerous grand-nieces and
nephews and many, many cousins that she loved dearly. She was predeceased by her loving parents,
Sylvia (Rotella) and Joseph E. Manez.
 
Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 14th at 11:00am at Maria Regina R.C. Church in
Seaford, NY.  Reception to follow immediately after service.
 
Visiting Hours will be held Friday, February 13th from 4-7 pm, at William E. Law Funeral Home
in Massapequa, NY.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Alicia Manez Maus’s name may be made to:
The Dr. Katherine Fuh Research Fund: An Ovarian Cancer research fund lead by Dr. Katherine Fuh,
Alicia’s Oncologist at UCSF: https://giving.ucsf.edu/fund/dr-katherine-fuh-research-fund

**PLEASE GO DIRECTLY TO CHURCH SATURDAY **