Kenneth J. Maher, owner of St. James Funeral Home, dies at 70

Kenneth J. Maher, a college pitcher who once caught the eye of the Yankees and became a funeral director who served Long Island families for more than four decades, died unexpectedly on Christmas Day.

He was 70 years old.

His family said the patriarch was so much more than the owner of the St. James Funeral Home. Maher made it a point to serve the community in so many ways his family marveled how he found the time to do so much.

"I stood in awe of him," said Betty Maher, his wife of 48 years. "God knows how he could squeeze so much into his incredible life."

Kenneth Maher was not only a Deacon at Sts. Philip and James Roman Catholic Church in St. James, but he also took it upon himself to get involved in everything from the local Halloween Parade, Little League, senior day care, assisting homebound folks as well as helping out local government.

On Christmas Eve, he had spent time at home watching the film "Christmas In the Clouds," a romantic comedy set at a mountain resort in Utah, his wife recalled. After the film, Maher and his wife went to sleep and about two hours later he died, she said.

Raised in the Bronx, Maher had thoughts about entering the priesthood while attending St. Raymond High School For Boys and graduating in 1968. His wife said she was attending the affiliated St. Raymond Academy For Girls and it was through that connection that she and Maher met and eventually started dating.

Maher went on to Iona College in New Rochelle where he excelled as a collegiate pitcher and was so good that he impressed New York Yankee scouts and was signed to a contract with a summer collegiate league to sharpen his skills while in college, his wife said.

"One of the most incredible thrills was the day he was called down to Yankee Stadium," Betty Maher said.

While soaking in the moment and history of the stadium surrounding him, Kenneth Maher was tapped on the shoulder by Thurman Munson, the Yankee catcher.

" ‘I hear you have a great curveball and a lot of speed,’ " Munson told the young Maher, according to his wife.

Munson caught for Maher and the aspiring player then went on to pitch about six games for the Mount Vernon Generals when he felt a longing for a change of occupations brought about by his part-time work in a Bronx funeral home.

Maher was moved by the way the funeral directors took care of bereaved families. " ‘The way they can sit with a family and give them peace when somebody they love dies … is just amazing,’ " his wife recalled him saying.

"Seeing how funeral directors can touch people’s life, that was a turning point," said his daughter, Kerry Weisse.

For a variety of reasons — including the grueling demands of the baseball schedule, which would have kept him away from his family — Maher decided to pass up a career in professional baseball, got his degree from Iona and attended the American Academy McAllister Institute in Manhattan, graduating in 1974.

After graduation, Maher, who had married Betty in August 1972, worked for a time at a funeral home in Brooklyn and then took a job at Fairchild Sons Funeral Home in Garden City.

In December 1977, upon learning that the St. James Funeral Home was up for sale, Maher and his wife bought it. The young couple moved into the living space above the funeral home, where they would raise three children.

Maher’s daughter Kerry recalled that she and her siblings — brother Kenneth Jr. and sister Aelysche — had to keep their playing time to the hours of 5 and 7 p.m. so as not to disturb visitation hours, which began promptly at 7 o'clock.

Eventually, the family moved to a separate home in St. James and expanded the funeral home to its present location on Middle Country Road, Betty Maher said.

Over the years, Kenneth J. Maher’s funeral home became a place where loyal families continued to return in times of need, the family said.

"I can attest to the fact that these people became, and still are, our family, part of our family, and I am proud of it, " said Betty Maher, who runs the administrative side of the business. Kerry Weisse and Kenneth Maher Jr. are licensed funeral directors and work at the funeral home.

"Having a funeral home is not a job, it has been a vocation and dedication of our whole family," Weisse said.

And while he passed on the priesthood, Kenneth J. Maher remained very committed to the Roman Catholic Church. In 1988, he was ordained as a deacon, a clergy position below the rank of priest.

In addition to his wife, Kerry and Kenneth Jr., Maher is survived by his son-in-law, Richard Weisse, and seven grandchildren. Daughter Aelysche predeceased him in 2007. A funeral mass was held on Jan. 3 at Sts. Philip and James Church. Interment followed at St. James Episcopal Cemetery in St. James.

By Anthony M. DeStefano

tony.destefano@newsday.comtonynewsday

Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.