WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 3
and publisher of the Ridgewood Times
Maureen Walthers (seated, second from right) and members of the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society in 1976. Ridgewood Times archives
death. Aft er completing the sale, she
brought her son, John T. Walthers, on
board to help her run the operation.
Over the next three decades, the
Ridgewood Times expanded its
advertising and classified bases,
as well as its boundaries beyond
the Greater Ridgewood area. The
Walthers launched in September 1989
the Times Newsweekly, a version of
the Ridgewood Times distributed
in northwestern and southwestern
Queens communities, extending out
as far north as Astoria and as far
south Howard Beach.
Maureen promoted a strong relationship
between the paper, the
community and local police. The
Times Newsweekly sponsored Cop
of the Month awards at eight precincts
covering western Queens and
Bushwick.
At the offi ce, Maureen was known
for her bubbly personality, lighting
up the room with her sharp wit,
never afraid to speak her mind. She
guided the editorial team with an
enthusiastic, straightforward style,
always emphasizing fact-based
reporting while keeping a constant
pulse on the beat of the communities
the paper serves.
Maureen had hoped to pass the paper
on to John, and for a brief period
in the 2000s, he did become owner
of the Ridgewood Times (Maureen
remained on board as publisher).
A Ridgewood Times offi ce party in 1986. Maureen is seated second from left, next to her son, John T. Walthers
(second from r ight ). Ridgewood Times archives
Following his sudden death in 2014,
ownership reverted back to Maureen,
but she felt that she could no longer
take on those responsibilities.
She sold the paper in 2015 to
Victoria and Joshua Schneps, of Schneps
Media. The Ridgewood Times
and Times Newsweekly continue
on the tradition of local reporting
for the Greater Ridgewood area, in
association with QNS.com and the
Queens Courier and TimesLedger
newspapers.
Maureen spent her final years
spending time with family and relaxing
at her waterfront home in the
Roxbury area of the Rockaways. She
is survived by her daughter, Patricia
Mack, her sister, Patricia Dolan, and
her two beloved grandchildren, Ava
and Isabel Mack.
A wake will be held on Thursday,
Sept. 3, at Hess-Miller Funeral Home,
64-19 Metropolitan Ave., Middle
Village. A Mass of Christian Burial
will be off ered at 9:45 a.m. Friday
morning, Sept. 4, at Our Lady of the
Miraculous Medal Church, 62-81
60th Place, Ridgewood, followed by
a private interment.
/WWW.QNS.COM
/QNS.com
