Mrs. Alberta Charlotte Maltby of Matamoras, Pa., died Friday, March 26, 2021, at Bon Secours Community Hospital. She was 89.
She was born Dec. 10, 1931, in Greeley, Pa., the daughter of the late Carl Albert “Benny” Bopp and the late Charlotte Anna Shaffer Bopp. Alberta was married for 54 years to her beloved husband, John L. “Jack” Maltby, until his passing on May 13, 2009.
Alberta grew up the youngest of three siblings in a humble family focused on hard work and education as a way out of poverty. She graduated from high school at age 16 and could easily have gained admission to college, but went straight to work to help support herself and her family.
She was a bank teller for several years, and after marrying Jack, she stayed home to raise her two children, David and Doris. Once the kids were in school, she began to work toward her lifelong dream of becoming a schoolteacher, Despite the pressures of parenting and the rarity at that time of an adult woman attending college — and the perilous hour-long drive along narrow, winding Route 209 — she traveled every day between Matamoras and East Stroudsburg, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education. From then, she worked at the Milford Elementary School for more than a decade until her retirement. Alberta’s colleagues fondly recalled her sense of humor and her ability to go with the flow even as she worked hard and cared deeply for her students.
Alberta’s natural knack for teaching extended to her children, who credit their curiosity and academic success to her loving, patient parenting. As they completed their school work, she would work tirelessly and calmly to help her children understand difficult concepts, instilling a sense of curiosity and self-direction, and a love of learning.
She was an active member of the Hope Evangelical Church in Matamoras, where she was a Sunday school teacher and sang in the choir. Alberta lived just down the street from Doris, and they saw each other often. She loved yard sales, playing Bingo, and completing crossword puzzles, David would collect crosswords from the New York Times and send them to her in the mail. She was also an avid cribbage player, with fellow players dubbing her “Momma Master” for her skill, and grew rhubarb in her garden to bake pies and share with neighbors. In 1986, after many years of careful saving, Alberta and Jack purchased a second home in Largo, Fla., with a grapefruit tree just outside the window. They’d pack up their Buick each fall to head for the warmer weather, where they enjoyed golfing, playing cards, and spending time outdoors with the community of friends they built down South.
A devoted Frank Sinatra fan, Alberta’s favorite song was “My Way.”
Alberta was a beloved grandmother and great-grandmother, and always had a snuggle, a giggle, and a special twinkle in her eye for the children in her life. She was proud of her family and their accomplishments, and of carving her own path out of hardship into a good life, putting herself and her children through college, and — through her teaching — laying the groundwork for countless children to discover their own potential.
She is survived by her son, David J. Maltby and his wife, Deborah of Brooklyn, N.Y.; daughter, Doris E. Dodd and her husband, Tom, of Matamoras, Pa.; sister, Betty Halpin of Hackensack, N.J.; granddaughter, Anna Patil and her husband, Akshay, of Brooklyn, N.Y.; and her grandchildren, Aadi and Leela Patil.
She was predeceased by her sister Ellen Gates.
Visitation was held at the Gray-Parker Funeral Home, Port Jervis, N.Y., on March 31. Funeral services followed at the funeral home with the Rev. Leonard Gilpin III officiating. Burial was in Pine Grove Cemetery, Matamoras.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Hope Evangelical Free Church, 300 First St., Matamoras, PA 18336.