Nancy Maria Stevens

This obituary was lovingly written by the family.

Nancy Maria (Fiori) Stevens, 93, of Laurel MD, passed away peacefully on Friday, April 5, 2024.  

Born on October 15, 1930 in Medway Massachusetts to Eva (Currier) and Vincent Fiori (both deceased).  She was the wife of John Stevens for 39 years until he passed in 1995. She is survived by John (Maryann Cusma) Stevens, son, and Terri Stevens, daughter, and her pride and joy, Collin Stevens, grandson. Also she is survived by her brother, Vincent (Linda) Fiori and her sister Virginia “Jeannie Fiori” (John ) Glennon and 32 nieces and nephews, all of whom she loved as though they were her own children.

She was known to her work colleagues as Nancy, and to her family and friends as Maria. Maria was a remarkable person with an extraordinary career for a woman of her time. She attended NorthEastern University for accounting, in which at the time, less than 1% of the attending class were women. She worked full time her entire adult life, beginning in the retail industry first as a bookkeeper, then moving into sales and marketing in Boston until she married. After several years abroad with her husband John while he was stationed there, they moved to the Washington DC area in 1961. During the 1960s she worked as a residential manager in apartment complexes in Prince George’s County. In the 1970s she moved into retail property management as General Manager of the Laurel Shopping Center, responsible for opening the new “enclosed shopping mall”.  In the 1980s, she transitioned to commercial property management with the Charles E Smith Company of Crystal City, VA where she became the Company’s very first female Vice President. After 15 years, she joined and was with for almost 2 decades, the Horne Brothers at Meridian Management Company where she finished her illustrious career in 2012 at the age of 82 as head of North America properties. She was responsible for buildings such as Grand Central and Penn Stations in New York City, the Grand Ole Opry in Tennessee, all the Texas border crossings, and numerous other buildings across America. Also during her impressive career, she sat on various committees; as the Landlord Representative on the very first the LandLord Tenant Committee of Prince George’s County MD, and various Boards including the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), writing many of the codes and regulations for the state of Maryland and across the country that still exist today.  Additionally, she was a close trusted advisor to US Congresswoman Gladys Spellman of Maryland. Since moving to Maryland in 1961, she attended St Mary’s Catholic Church in Laurel. Additionally, she was a member of the Soroptomist Club and was a long time loyal member of the Sons of Italy in Laurel Maryland.

When she wasn’t working, Maria loved to travel the world. But Maria was happiest when surrounded by her family and friends. Maria was known to be kind and incredibly generous (extended family will remember epic Easter egg hunts with big prizes for all.  And everyone knew there would be Christmas presents galore).  She was the ultimate hostess and a legendary storyteller. 

Relatives and friends are warmly invited to join the family in celebrating her life at St Mary of the Mills Catholic Church on Saturday, April 27, 2024 (114 St Marys Place, Laurel Md). Visitation will begin at 9:30 AM.  A memorial Mass will be held at 10:30 AM. 

Anyone wishing to make a donation in lieu of flowers, Gifts may be mailed with a memo indicating that this gift is in memory of Nancy Maria Stevens to the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, P.O. Box 49143, Baltimore, MD 21297-9143 or make a gift online at hopkinscancer.org.  Alternatively, a donation to White Oak Medical Center of Adventist Healthcare can be made online at https://www.classy.org/give/399007/#!/donation/checkout. 

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