Maureen Patricia Haus' Obituary
MAUREEN PATRICIA HAUS, 75, of Leesburg, Virginia passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, in Reston, Virginia.
Born Tuesday, March 16, 1948, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Maureen was the daughter of the late John O’Donnell and Dolores Meehan O’Donnell.
She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 51 years, Lance William Haus; her parents; sister, Catherine Pasquali; brother, Jack O’Donnell; and mother-in-law, Phyllis Turner Haus.
Maureen leaves many to cherish her memory including her daughter, Lora Haus Kite (Gary) of Leesburg, VA; granddaughter Ashleigh Glynn Kite of Leesburg, VA; sister, Linda Konetski; brother, Joseph O’Donnell (Karen); nieces and nephews, Danielle Howells, Christina DeMellier, Joseph M. O’Donnell, Justin O’Donnell, John Gorham, Michael Gorham; great nieces and nephews; numerous cousins; and many dear friends including Carol Welsh, Kathleen Toner, Mary Jo Davis, and Donna Sorensen. Maureen was a loving, kind, and generous person who would do anything for family and friends. She loved animals and was surrounded by dogs and cats throughout her life.
Maureen grew up in a large, extended family surrounded by siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins across the Wilkes-Barre area. Faith and family were everything to Maureen. As a child, she loved to read, eat Peppermint Patties, talk to friends on her special pink phone, and use her aunt’s hat boxes to store her treasures. She was very outgoing and made friends easily. As a teen, she spent much of her time at Harveys Lake and Sans Souci Park. She enjoyed dances at the Catholic Youth Club (CYC), where she met Lance through a mutual friend. She enjoyed special Summer trips to Ocean City, NJ and New York City with her Aunt Esther and Uncle Joe Elinsky. Maureen’s love for Ocean City, NJ became an annual tradition that was later passed down to Lora and Ashleigh. She adored Lance’s family and enjoyed spending time with them. She loved clothes and was known for having shoes to match every outfit.
Maureen graduated from St. Mary’s High School/Washington Street in Wilkes-Barre in 1966. She attended Wilkes College to study nursing before moving to Ithaca, NY with Lance. She gave birth to Lora in 1969 and was a loving, full-time mother. In 1976, Maureen, Lance, and Lora moved from Ithaca to Reston, Virginia, where she lived and worked for over 30 years. Maureen loved to create and write. In the early 1980’s, she worked for the Marketplace Newspaper as an Advertising Representative and Dining Columnist. She loved trying different cuisines and working with restaurant and business owners. She later started her own local magazine, NOVA Focus, where she was owner and Editor-in-Chief. After many successful years in advertising, Maureen decided to explore selling real estate. She sold new homes for numerous builders across Northern Virginia, and later worked for Long and Foster/Reston for many years. In her spare time, she enjoyed golfing with Lance, taking trips to visit her mother and other relatives in Wilkes-Barre, exploring Williamsburg, going out to eat, and shopping. She loved to open their home to entertain and host holidays for family and friends. Maureen had a huge heart and always included friends of friends who may not have had places to go for a holiday.
In 2002, Maureen moved to New Oxford, Pennsylvania where she and Lance enjoyed a more relaxed, retirement lifestyle in their home that backed to a cow farm. During this time, Maureen continued to work part-time in real estate while caring for Phyllis. Maureen treasured that Ashleigh spent many weekends with them in New Oxford. In 2011, Maureen and Lance returned to Virginia to be closer to family. Being an involved grandmother was incredibly important to Maureen. She enjoyed baking cookies and coloring Easter eggs with Ashleigh, teaching her about cooking, having tea parties, watching Ashleigh play soccer, attending school events, and counting down the days until Ashleigh would return home from her college breaks. Maureen will be missed immensely by her family.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Jude Childrens Hospital or Susan G. Komen.
A church service and burial will take place later this Summer.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.loudounfuneralchapel.com
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