After three-and-a-half decades as a Catholic school educator in Queens, including 19 “life-changing” years as principal of St. Leo’s in Corona, Maureen Blaine is retiring – at least, officially.

She will still run the food pantry, a joint effort of the parish and school.

She also intends to teach underserved women at a community center, help at the soup kitchen where her husband Douglas volunteers, practice playing guitar and perhaps continue teaching a tolerance course at St. Leo’s.

Spending time with her children and grandson are in the plans as well.

In other words, she’s not slowing down, just changing directions.

“I want to devote more time to social programs,” she said on a recent morning in her office. “I’m very excited about that.”

Bittersweet Transition

While she’s happy to pass the torch – and paperwork – to her not-yet-named successor, leaving the day-to-day life at St. Leo’s is bittersweet.

“This is where my heart is,” she said, looking at pages in a handmade scrapbook, a gift from teachers and staff. They, along with nearly 400 students, surprised her with a prayer service and assembly this month. A dinner will be held in her honor June 25.

Among her fondest well-wishers is Father William Hoppe, who has been working with her since he arrived as pastor of St. Leo Church almost eight years ago.

“Mrs. Blaine epitomizes everything Jesus wants in a disciple,” he said.

“She is so passionate about the importance of education, but education in the ways of Christ. Peace is all over this school. It’s the word on everybody’s lips, and it’s all due to her. What she teaches, she lives, and everybody knows it.”

Peace and justice are the prevailing themes of Blaine’s tenure, and she puts the walk behind the talk.

Her legacy includes the institution of a monthly food pantry run by eighth graders, founding the school’s Pax Christi chapter, the creation of a tolerance course to teach unity and deter prejudice and the installation of a “peace bench” for students who need to take time out to review their words and actions.

Have to Be Real

“Peacemaking is not easy,” Blaine told a visitor. “It has to be real. You can’t just say, “Be nice,’ or ‘Be respectful.’ You have to show how to do it, and you have to constantly do it.”

Blaine admits she’s not always successful, but the beauty of life is that everyday offers a new chance to get it right.

She sets a peace-oriented tone every morning with a school assembly featuring a Gospel reading, birthday blessings, a song and social justice theme, which resonates in this multicultural community of lower income and immigrant families.

Although teaching is clearly her calling, it wasn’t always her objective in life. Born in Brooklyn, she grew up attending Catholic schools, St. Teresa of Avila, South Ozone Park, and Christ the King H.S., Middle Village. She liked the idea of working with children and guiding them, but never thought of doing so in a formal setting.

After graduation, she worked at the telephone company and an insurance company before deciding to give teaching a try. She studied part-time for six years at Queens College until she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

She later did graduate work at Hunter College, and earned her master’s in administration at Fordham University at Lincoln Center.

Her teaching career began with the fourth grade at All Saints School in Williamsburg where she stayed six years. She married and stopped working when her children came along: two biological sons, Matthew and Timothy, and two adopted children from Korea: a son, Christopher, and daughter, Emily.

Her children attended their parish school, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, South Ozone Park, and one day, the principal asked Blaine to substitute teach. Things went so well that she was hired to head the school’s new pre-kindergarten program.

Big Promotion

She made the move to Corona eight years later to start a pre-k program at St. Leo. In her second year, Father Charles Keeney, then-pastor, gave her a “big promotion” to the principal’s chair.

In 19 years, she has seen the school through financial challenges and everyday joys, and navigated its transition to an academy last year.

Looking back, Blaine is grateful for the pastors with whom she’s worked – Father Keeney, Father William Krlis and Father Hoppe, and appreciates the support they gave her.

She knows how blessed she’s been, not only with pastors, but also her teachers, staff and especially the students.

“The faculty and staff are generous and loving and they really care for these kids. I’ve been extremely blessed, and I know that,” she said, tearing up.

“And the kids are the best. A lot of them have trials and tribulations in their lives. Do they misbehave? Sometimes. But they’re the sweetest kids I could ever want.

“Certainly, they’ve all made me a better person,” she said.