Charlotte Hiser Maas

charlotte maas
Charlotte Hiser Maas passed away peacefully at her home in Vienna, Va. on Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at the age of 87.

Charlotte was born on July 20, 1933 to John Henry Hiser and wife Charlotte in Washington, D.C. Raised in Bethesda, Md., she graduated from National Cathedral School and attended Randolph-Macon College.

Two years after meeting on a train coming from Chicago, Charlotte married Colonel Bertram Arthur Maas USMC (D.) of St. Paul, Minn. on June 9, 1953 at the Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Md. They became devoted parents of six sons, John (Wendy), Michael (SunMee), Curtiss (D.), Charles, Stephen, and Brad. Charlotte and Bertram were the proud “Grammy” and “Pops” of John Henry, Jennifer (Ethan), Bryan, Jessica, and Nicholas Maas.

Charlotte is also survived by her beloved siblings John Henry Hiser, Jr. (Gail), Linda Hall, Kathleen Farr (Gavin, D.), Sharon Powell (Hugh) and Norma Meyer (Jeff), and by numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. Charlotte’s sister Nancy Hiser Eastham passed away in 2007.

Charlotte and her husband Bertram were stationed by the USMC in numerous states and countries around the world. They moved over a dozen times and lived in Japan, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, California, Hawaii, and Pennsylvania, finally retiring in 1980 in Vienna, Va. Charlotte and Bertram were married for 57 years, until his passing in 2011.

A lifelong lover of the arts, Charlotte enjoyed performing in theater productions, including “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” which she did with Glen Echo’s Adventure Theatre, “The Wizard of Oz” in Hawaii, in which she played Aunt Em and several of her sons played Munchkins, and “Tarradiddle Tales” and “Tarradiddle Travels,” among numerous other plays. Charlotte used her stage talents to organize the floats she, Bertram and their boys entered in three of Vienna’s annual Halloween parades; the only family to do so, as all of the other entrants were businesses.

Charlotte spent her free time writing stories and letters, photographing her family and friends — which is why you hardly ever see her appear in her very large collection of photos — and watching classic movies, which she could quote better than anyone else. She loved volunteering at her children’s and grandchildren’s schools, including Parkwood School, which was attended by several of her grandkids.

After her husband, Bertram “Pops,” retired from the military, the couple enjoyed spending time at their beach cottage in Emerald Isle, N.C. with their family. Charlotte and Bertram also took many trips, including an Alaskan cruise, a vacation in Australia and a tour of Europe.

A private funeral ceremony honoring Charlotte will be held for family and close friends on Saturday, August 8 at 1 p.m. at Fort Lincoln Cemetery in Brentwood, Md.

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