Esther M (Maier) DeFries , VRHS Class of 1948
De Fries, Esther M. FREDERICK, Md. - Esther M. De Fries, 95, of Frederick, Md., formerly of Hyde Park, N.Y., passed away peacefully on Friday, February 27, at Fahrney Keedy Senior Living Community, in Boonsboro, Md., after a short illness. She was born in Rensselaer, N.Y., on August 20, 1930, to George and Esther (Fletcher) Maier. Esther was a graduate of Rensselaer High School, Class of 1948. Upon graduation, she proudly pioneered entry for women into the workforce, serving as a Supervisor of Telephone Switchboard Operators at the New York Telephone Company, a subsidiary of The Bell System, which later became AT&T. In 1956, she married her beloved husband, Robert M. De Fries. She and her husband moved to the Hudson Valley, where Robert started his career with IBM Laboratories, in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., that same year. Throughout his 34 years with IBM, he held various research positions, until his retirement in 1990, when he and his wife relocated to Frederick, Md. Robert M. De Fries predeceased his beloved wife of 64 years, in May of 2020. Survivors include their loving family, consisting of their son, Mark A. De Fries; a grandson, Blake W.W. De Fries; her loving and inseparable sister, Marlene (Maier) Powers, who still resides in Troy, N.Y., where she tells many wonderful stories of their childhood escapades. In addition to their parents, she was predeceased by her sisters-in-law, Barbara and Grace, of Albany; and her brothers-in-law, John, William, Richard and Henry De Fries, all whom resided in the Mid-Atlantic region. A private service for family members will be held at a date to be determined.