PALMER, Maria (Zervas) 93, of Jamaica Plain, MA died on Friday July 24 at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital.
Maria was the sister of Anastasia Tsakirgis and Christopher Zervas and the devoted daughter of William and Efthemia Zervas. She leaves behind her loving son William Murley Palmer. Maria was the wife of the late Robert M. Palmer.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend her funeral service at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Chapel, 162 Goddard Ave, Brookline, on Friday July 31, at 11:00am. Interment Gethsemane Cemetery, West Roxbury.
Maria died after a gallant struggle with a long-term illness, during which time she demonstrated the full strength of her indomitable spirit.
Maria was the eldest daughter of Greek immigrants William and Effie Zervas. She graduated from Roxbury Girls High School in 1939.
Maria's first job was as a Kelly girl, and subsequently she became a secretary at the U.S. Civil Service Commission in Boston, where she eventually met her husband Robert. Maria was well known for her office skills and speed on the job; she was able to type 120 words per minute and could take expert shorthand. Maria's nicknames (in those days when women and men had nicknames at work) were "legs" and "Zerv the curve."
Maria regularly did overflow work for JFK's senatorial office, which was also in the Federal Building, and came to know JFK's staff. One day JFK's men told Maria that the Senator would like to meet with her. Maria met with JFK in his office and he on the spot offered Maria the position of being his personal secretary, which JFK told her would involve meeting him when his plane flew in from Washington DC amongst other demands. Remarkably, Maria turned down the job offer from JFK because she wanted to work regular hours so that she could be with her family and socialize with her friends.
Maria was devoted to her husband Robert, who worked for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, and accompanied him to Greenwich Village, Manhattan, during which time their son William was born. This period was extraordinarily rich for her, as she loved the diversity of NYU community as well as the vibrancy of the Village scene in 1960’s and early 1970’s. She subsequently moved with her family to first Gaithersburg, Maryland, and then to Jamaica Plain, where she made her home for many decades. During this period her son William attended the Roxbury Latin School, where she was a consistent volunteer, including serving as a parent representative. While her son was at Harvard University Maria worked virtually full-time in a volunteer role at Roxbury Latin. Maria resumed working after her husband Robert’s death in 1980 and was for more than a decade a proficient ETL (Evaluation Team Leader) clerk for the Boston public school system.
Maria always loved politics and volunteered for many campaigns, ranging from John Lindsay’s New York mayoral bid in the 1950’s, to being a very early volunteer for Michael Dukakis in the 1970’s and continued her political volunteer work into her late 70s. To her, genuine personal connections were paramount, and she had a true and deep enthusiasm for and interest in the people in her life.
Donations in Maria's memory may be made to the American Lung Association (http://www.lung.org/donate/memorial-honor-gifts/) or The Roxbury Latin School (http://www.roxburylatin.org/Page/Supporting-RL/Annual-Fund .