Maurice Erly

Always looking up, always looking out for others.

3/22/14 Tribute from Colin Mably

Maurice will never die. He'll be alive as long as there's somebody who can remember him. That will be a while for us - his generation (hopefully). But it's also within the firm memories of several of our kids who are now in their 20s - 40s, and his grandchildren, who are much younger. On my reckoning, that means he'll remain alive until at least 2104 - maybe even longer given the secular trend. Maurice Lives! His smile, love, inspiration and problem solving skills are there regardless.

I met Maurice, through Jim Greenberg in 1980 in his office in Prince Georges County School District, Maryland where he had developed one of the finest teacher professional development programs in the U.S. The rapport was instant - this guy talked our language professionally and personally. In the following year, we ran what turned out to be the first annual international seminar for teacher education - now in its 35th year. Maurice touched down at Heathrow Airport, London bringing with him an array of baggage which included two 5-gallon sealed buckets, one containing shucked oysters, the other soft shell crabs. He had, apparently bought them that morning in Washington DC harbor. He managed to negotiate the London Underground system to Knightsbridge, West London,where we had booked a hotel for him prior to the seminar. Getting his bags and buckets from the train platform up to the surface presented a challenge - no porters, no elevators, not enough hands. He approached three young schoolboys for help. They immediately ran away from him (the Metropolitan Police had recently been visiting school's showing a short movie entitled "Never Talk to a Stranger" - they got the message!)  Maurice went to plan B - a middle-aged Afro-Caribbean gentleman who said "Maan, let I help you wit dat". Four days later, eighty or so people dined on fried oysters and soft- shell crabs with Old Bay seasoning. Maurice had somehow not only persuaded the fearsome head cook at Danbury Park (the seminar's residential venue) to keep the buckets of shellfish in her fridge, but also access to her kitchen for him to cook them. Those who knew the cook well were flabbergasted. She was known as the "dragon of the the kitchen", a fierce unfriendly personality. 

I tell this story because it so neatly illustrates Maurice's special ability to relate to every colleague human he came across (as his son Jay said: "He never met a stranger") and his extraordinary ability to solve problems. There are many other stories that are known and could be told about Maurice. Suffice it to say that those of us who have known and loved him over very many years feel extremely fortunate to have had him as a dear friend, and colleague. He leaves a legacy and a set of aspirations that will endure forever.

 Well done Maurice - very well done.

 Colin

3/19/14 Note from Titus, Laura, Foppe and Ineke

The sad news about Maurice's passing away  was a shock to us. It is difficult to imagine that he is no longer with us and that we will never hear his voice and laughter again. Patricia and Maurice visited us in the Netherlands last summer and although Maurice was already ill we still had great days together end we enjoyed our friendship.

I met Maurice and Patricia 28 years ago. I hardly knew Maurice and had never met Patricia before when they welcomed me to their home. They and their sons overwhelmed me with their warmth, I felt welcome right from the first day. Since then our friendship has grown and deepened.

Foppe and I have visited Maurice and Patricia in Maryland a few more times, once with our two children  Titus and Laura. The positive and encouraging  influence on them was noticeable for many years after the visit; they corrected each other with Patricia's 'Titus, be nice!' and 'Laura, be nice!', most often followed by laughing and ending the disagreement. Titus and Laura  renewed their relation with Patricia and Maurice and are happy to have had the chance to meet Maurice while they were already grown-up.

 Maurice was unique in the care and support he presented to everyone around him. He was the best in inspiring people. He could be Maurice, thanks to the love and care he got from Patricia. They were a strong couple.  Dear Patricia, it must be very hard to carry on without him. But we know he will continue to be with you and support you in whatever you will decide to do. We wish you, Jay, Brian, Steven and the whole family much strength.

 Next Thursday during the memorial service we will sit together in our house and be in our mind with you and all your friends and relatives when you are celebrating Maurice's life together and are saying goodbye to him. Later this year we will find time to come to Maryland and visit you.

 Maurice, we will miss you.

 Titus, Laura, Foppe and Ineke

3/12/14  Last summer Maurice and Patricia visited us in Maastricht and we had lovely days together. We drove by car through the Limburg countryside, we had dinner in Maastricht restaurants and we spent many nice hours in our house. Always talking about earlier times, the educational progress and the educational troubles, and the philosophical and pedagogical discourse were as usual. But most of all we enjoyed our friendship.
My friendship with Maurice started in the eighties of the former century and that was the start of an intensive and fruitful collaboration. Maurice taught me the way of living in the US, the way of thinking and he encouraged me to speak better English. Now I feel sad and I wish I could tell him how much he meant for me. Without his help I could never start my "European Orientation Centre", the concept of which I discussed with him many times: cultural and international exchange in education. Maurice introduced me in many universities and colleges in many parts of the USA. And during all these trips the house of Patricia and Maurice was a real haven to rest and to recover.
I'm grateful that he was part of my life.
We remember him with all our friendship and we keep the best memories in our hearts.

With love,

Toon en Godelief Dijkstra

3/11/14  Yes very sad news indeed. Makes me think the unthinkable: life ends - you normally have the feeling it will go on because Maurice is part of our existence. And now there is a whole. Immediately after having read your email I just walked out into the fields. Could cry really. After a while, don't know how long I was out - I climbed our hill and came back smiling with a tear. Because although I felt a certain pain, the whole was full with good memories and I feel lucky to have known him. 
Maurice was tremendously supportive at the starting point of my career in which not only professional goals are important, but he also made it clear to me that personal friendships matter. He not only showed me the secrets of Washington, but also that problems only exist - the practical thinker he was - because there are solutions. With or without a few zips every now and then he was direct, could be very serious, but always ended with supporting love and laughter.

So yes Maurice meant and will continue meaning a lot to all who had the fortune to have known him.

Hans Voorbach

3/10/14  I too remember many things.  His selfless kindnesses – for example that day he sat sweating with Pat on a little faded blue couch in my small study at our wedding in October 2005 after cooking up a bunch of oysters for the wedding guests at our home in Arnold.  He needed a breather, a rest away from the hub-bub of the hot kitchen on that humid day.  Within 10 minutes however, and no doubt in spite of his fatigue, he was back in the kitchen with Pat fixing more oysters, and explaining to whomever was near how to rustle-up such a delicious snack.  And although these digital pictures have no dimensions (like Maurice now), Maurice was thick upon this earth and in our lives – that dimension will not fade.

Doug Coulson

Maurice we miss you!

Maurice and Patricia

Never farewell, always in our hearts.