Maria Barnaby Greenwald (May 3, 1940 – January 11, 1995) was an American politician, the

Mayor of Cherry Hill, New Jersey Cherry Hill is a Township (New Jersey), township within Camden County, New Jersey, Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the township had a population of 74,553, which reflected ...

, and surrogate for the New Jersey Superior Court.

Background

Greenwald was born on May 3, 1940, in

Camden, New Jersey Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Camden is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan area and is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the 2020 ...

, the daughter of Louis and Carmella (Corrado) Ciarrocchi. She attended Pierce Junior College in Philadelphia, graduating in 1960. She worked as a teacher at the Trinity Presbyterian Nursery in Cherry Hill from 1973 to 1976 and as an employment counselor at Snelling & Snelling in 1976–1977.

Career

Greenwald began her political career when she was elected to the Cherry Hill Township Council, and served as the community's first woman mayor, from 1977 to 1979. In 1981, she became the first directly elected mayor under a new form of government, a post she held until 1987. Greenwald became the first woman elected to the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholder and served 1980–1981, and was the first woman director of the seven-member body. She became first woman surrogate for the New Jersey Superior Court in Camden County in 1993, where she served until her death.

Death and legacy

Greenwald died in January 1995 in a car crash when her car ran off a rain-slick road and struck a tree. The Camden County Hall of Justice, the county courthouse for Camden County located in the county seat, the City of Camden, was dedicated to her in 1996. The 47-acre Maria Barnaby Greenwald Memorial Park in Cherry Hill is also dedicated to her memory. Maria's Women United is a political association founded in 2016 and named in Greenwald's honor.

Personal life

She was married to Floyd T. Greenwald (d. 2001), who worked for the South Jersey Port Corporation. They had two sons, Thomas and

Louis Greenwald Louis D. Greenwald (born March 11, 1967) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has represented the 6th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly since taking office on January 9, 1996. He has served as the Assembly Majo ...

(b. 1967), who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 1996, where he represents the 6th Legislative District.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greenwald, Maria Barnaby 1940 births 1995 deaths G G G Mayors of places in New Jersey New Jersey County surrogates New Jersey state court judges County commissioners in New Jersey Women mayors of places in New Jersey New Jersey Democrats Road incident deaths in New Jersey 20th-century American judges 20th-century American women politicians 20th-century mayors of places in New Jersey