Deborah Maloney, R.N.
Deborah Moniti Maloney celebrated life every day with love and caring. As a dedicated school nurse, she was an inspiration to many and a gift to the children of Branford. Debbie graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden in 1967. She received her nursing degree from St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing, Hartford, CT, in 1970 and worked as an R.N. in the Coronary Care Unit at St. Raphael's Hospital, New Haven, from 1970- 1976. Initially Debbie began as a Health Aide in the Branford Schools. When her sons, Derek and Jeffery, entered elementary school, Debbie returned to work full time as the school nurse at Tisko School where she worked for twenty-three years. Debbie graduated magna cum laude from Southern Connecticut State University earning her Bachelors of Science degree in 1997.
Debbie Maloney's contribution to education is immeasurable. Debbie taught the value of education and the importance of good health simply by being herself and thinking of others. "If ever there was a person cut out to become a nurse, Debbie more than met every criteria", husband Dave has said. Steadfast and scholarly in her approach to earning two degrees, Debbie was not only a perfectionist in the classroom but also in the field. One of her "frequent flyers", the term Debbie coined for the kids who use the nurse as an escape from class, demonstrated that they had learned the ultimate lesson that Debbie wanted to teach about the importance of education when saying, "I hope I am staying out of your office and I hope you stay in it. Thank you for teaching me to stay in class."
Debbie's role as nurse at Tisko expanded well beyond the walls of that school building. Caring for children was her passion and she truly loved every child at Tisko, knowing most of them by name. She felt her job was half nursing and half mothering. She was responsible for diabetic children, children with life-threatening allergies, severe asthma and the mobility of physically challenged students. She made all teachers aware of these at risk students and organized tutorials sponsored by the Branford Fire Department.
Debbie was instrumental in building service related programs and health education initiatives, creating classroom activities at Tisko in support of the health curriculum that included: health and hygiene, dental care and childhood diseases. Debbie taught Tisko students to think globally. She was a proponent for those children less fortunate than Branford's. Debbie once said, "If everyone picked just one or two causes to work on, the world would be a much better place." Debbie organized an effort to provide Iraqi children with much needed school supplies. She initiated a campaign for Smile Train, an organization that provides surgeries for cleft lip and palate repair in countries where procedures are not common or affordable. Debbie championed the effort to support a school nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in Port St. Lucie, FL. The Compassion Club was another program close to her heart that Debbie spearheaded at Tisko School. Closer to home, Debbie was very involved with the Branford Children's Fund. She also served as liaison with the Branford Clothing Bank and The Community Dining Room. Debbie's tireless selflessness did not go unnoticed. Debbie Maloney has had the honor of being selected as a Sound Newspaper "Person of the Week''.
Debbie was a true advocate of women's health issues and breast cancer awareness. Tisko staff and students would wear pink and raise money to fight the disease that Debbie eventually succumbed to on April 25, 2008. She was a warm, caring, happy-go-lucky woman who had many dear friends and colleagues. In Debbie's honor, the Debbie Maloney Scholarship Fund was established to provide funding for curricular projects in health education and scholarship assistance for Tisko graduates pursuing a health or nursing career.
Sadly, Debbie's father, Frank, passed away shortly after Debbie. Debbie is survived by her husband, David, her two sons, Derek and Jeffery, her mother, Dorothy Moniti, her sister, Elizabeth Moroni, nieces, Jillian, Heather and Charlotte and several relative in England.
Debbie Maloney's contribution to education is immeasurable. Debbie taught the value of education and the importance of good health simply by being herself and thinking of others. "If ever there was a person cut out to become a nurse, Debbie more than met every criteria", husband Dave has said. Steadfast and scholarly in her approach to earning two degrees, Debbie was not only a perfectionist in the classroom but also in the field. One of her "frequent flyers", the term Debbie coined for the kids who use the nurse as an escape from class, demonstrated that they had learned the ultimate lesson that Debbie wanted to teach about the importance of education when saying, "I hope I am staying out of your office and I hope you stay in it. Thank you for teaching me to stay in class."
Debbie's role as nurse at Tisko expanded well beyond the walls of that school building. Caring for children was her passion and she truly loved every child at Tisko, knowing most of them by name. She felt her job was half nursing and half mothering. She was responsible for diabetic children, children with life-threatening allergies, severe asthma and the mobility of physically challenged students. She made all teachers aware of these at risk students and organized tutorials sponsored by the Branford Fire Department.
Debbie was instrumental in building service related programs and health education initiatives, creating classroom activities at Tisko in support of the health curriculum that included: health and hygiene, dental care and childhood diseases. Debbie taught Tisko students to think globally. She was a proponent for those children less fortunate than Branford's. Debbie once said, "If everyone picked just one or two causes to work on, the world would be a much better place." Debbie organized an effort to provide Iraqi children with much needed school supplies. She initiated a campaign for Smile Train, an organization that provides surgeries for cleft lip and palate repair in countries where procedures are not common or affordable. Debbie championed the effort to support a school nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in Port St. Lucie, FL. The Compassion Club was another program close to her heart that Debbie spearheaded at Tisko School. Closer to home, Debbie was very involved with the Branford Children's Fund. She also served as liaison with the Branford Clothing Bank and The Community Dining Room. Debbie's tireless selflessness did not go unnoticed. Debbie Maloney has had the honor of being selected as a Sound Newspaper "Person of the Week''.
Debbie was a true advocate of women's health issues and breast cancer awareness. Tisko staff and students would wear pink and raise money to fight the disease that Debbie eventually succumbed to on April 25, 2008. She was a warm, caring, happy-go-lucky woman who had many dear friends and colleagues. In Debbie's honor, the Debbie Maloney Scholarship Fund was established to provide funding for curricular projects in health education and scholarship assistance for Tisko graduates pursuing a health or nursing career.
Sadly, Debbie's father, Frank, passed away shortly after Debbie. Debbie is survived by her husband, David, her two sons, Derek and Jeffery, her mother, Dorothy Moniti, her sister, Elizabeth Moroni, nieces, Jillian, Heather and Charlotte and several relative in England.