Reflections of My Life…
 

 Early Years

 Mrs. Maxine Loreat (Harris) Daniels was born to Elizabeth Wright-Harris and Earl Preston Harris Sr. on October 27, 1926.  

As the only girl she was especially close to her mother, two aunts (neither of her aunts had any children), and her grandmother on her mothers’ side.  The close ties with the women in her family helped develop her strong personality, which she used to talk her way out of any “bad” situation. 

 In elementary school, she was a very good student.  Her parents involved her and her siblings in many activities.  When she was growing up, her younger aunt was her best friend and she supported her grade advancement.  The grade advancement in school resulted in her graduating valedictorian of her high school class of about 25 students, at age 15. 

 Following graduation she immediately entered Prairie View University majoring in piano, with a minor in education.  Maxine graduated Prairie View at age 19 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music and worked on campus for a year following graduation as a typist at the campus hospital. 

 In the fall of 1947 she was accepted as a graduate student at Iowa University in Iowa City.  Although she constantly kept her focus on her studies, a young man by the name of Thomas Edward Daniels captured her attention and they were married August 8, 1948. 

 Marriage and Professional Years

 Maxine and her new family moved to Corona in pursuit of work.  She worked as a clerk/typist for about 2 years, until they moved to Belmar, NJ.  In NJ she worked for the government, at Camp Evans as a clerk typist in the mailroom, for a number of years.  At this time she refocused my career goals returning back to education. 

 Her passion for education was very evident and put her on a fast track towards education leadership in the Monmouth County area.  Although she began graduate study at the University of Iowa, Kean College, and Rutgers University, she ultimately earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Supervision, graduating Magna Cum Laude, from Monmouth (College) University.  In 1970, she was hired by the Asbury Park school district as a guidance counselor for their new middle school.  . 

 Community Service

At the same time that Maxine was developing into a powerful leader professionally, she maintained a very healthy home life with her children and was actively involved in the community, which extended both county and statewide. Maxine and Thomas raised a total of 7 children, Michaels, Karen, Kevin, Daryl, Larrick, Danita, and Raun in the Asbury Park / Neptune / Ocean Township community. 

           Church: she and her husband, on arriving in Monmouth County, joined St. Stephens AME Zion Church in Asbury Park.  Over the years, she became a member of Stewardess Board #2, a Deaconess, and a Steward.

             Sorority: Alpha Kappa Alpha. She had been a soror since 1949 and was a charter Member of Lambda Omega Omega Chapter.  She was honored with numerous awards for her service to the Sorority.

             Community: Member of the Asbury Park-Neptune NAACP. She served, for a period of time, as 1st Vice President of the Branch and initiated the Branch's 'Save Our Children Program.'

             Black Issues Convention (BIC) a State Organization – Focus on Civil and Human Rights.  She served as the County Coordinator and was a Co-Founder of the Program for Acceleration in Careers in Computer Science (PAC) (a county effort BIC initiative).

             She was a founding member of the Monmouth County Human Relations Commission and served as Chairperson of the Youth Awareness Core Team.

             She was a member of the Science, Mathematics, Aeronautics, Research, and Technology (S.M.A.R.T.), a national organization encouraging African-American youth to enter science, technology, and engineering careers.

             She was President, to the African-American Heritage Association (AAHA), (registered by the county) a joint venture created by her and her husband.  .

             She was a member of the Pan African Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Monmouth-Ocean Minority Investment Corporation. 

             Awards and Recognitions: She received numerous awards for her services in education, the community, church, and in civil rights.  She is listed in a number of Who's Who (in the East and Among Women) and received the NAACP “Women of the Year' Award – 1996.

 Last Words from Maxine…

 From retirement until her final days she was focused on counseling and influencing her grandchildren, family, and friends of all ages, with what they are presently doing or should be doing.  She was focused on research, which involved extensive reading from an acquired library of some 4,000 books and also with magazines, tapes, etc.   The following are her final words to her family…

 “I am encouraging and challenging each member to stay involved with current issues of life.  I often remind everyone to understand –“you are spiritual beings living a human experience.”  I believe that what you do with this experience is your choice to make.   I maintain that God helps those who first help themselves.  I feel that everyone, no exceptions, 'holds the key to what they make of their lives.' God, I believe, has given life's responsibility and how we live our lives to each of us.  I did.

             I conclude by sharing – that I have lived in a number of states; received my education in a number of states; and traveled to a number of countries. 

             I proudly accept that in my 87 years – I have been a daughter, a sibling; a wife, mother, & grandmother.  All of these experiences total up to who I am.”