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Margery Ona Masters
Margery Ona Masters, fondly known by so many as “Ms. Masters” died on December 12 of natural causes. She was 72.
Her contributions to the lives of so many in the community, covered a wide and caring range, according to her family. She was born on February 7, 1949, to Arnold and Ona Masters, in Buffalo. She grew up in Southampton and spent most of her adult life there as well.
She attended SUNY Geneseo from 1968 to 1971 and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood education. She then went on to receive her master’s in elementary mathematics at Long Island University of Southampton.
Over her lifetime, Masters wore many hats in several areas of her life. In 1986, she started her employment in the Sag Harbor School District, and for over 35 years, she taught math at both the Sag Harbor Elementary School and the Pierson Middle/High School. She taught math classes for over three decades, and she truly cared about her students as if they were her own children, her survivors said.
She also became a published author for Barron’s Educational Series and published her own math textbooks over the years, including one that is hard to find and quite valuable, “Painless Junior Math Grade 6,” published in 2006.
Interestingly enough, she also spent several years working for Wilson Sporting Goods starting in 2010, stringing rackets for U.S. Open players. Another true passion of Masters’s life was singing. She was a member of the New York Choral Society for many years and would travel into New York City weekly to practice with her peers in the choir and perform as well in some of the most prestigious concert halls and beautiful churches. Masters also spent a great deal of time as an active member of the Shinnecock Presbyterian Church and sang in the choir.
She was predeceased by her parents, Ona and Arnold Masters, of Southampton. She is survived by a brother, Paul Masters and sister-in-law Diane; and several nieces and nephews; along with a host of special friends and her adopted family, of Nancy Stevens-Smith.
In her honor, donations can be made to the New York Choral Society, 119 W. 57th Street, Suite 1215, New, York, NY 10019, 212-247-3878, by e-mail at info@nychoral.org or at nychoral.org; or to the Shinnecock Presbyterian Church, Shinnecock Indian Reservation, Church Street, Southampton, NY 11968, 631-204-9301.
A scholarship fund will be set up in honor of Masters to support young women from the East End who plan to study the field of mathematics or work in the area of mathematics and education. To donate to the scholarship fund, contact Melissa Mitchell at 631-466-8129 or by email at drmelissamitchell@gmail.com.
Staff Writer on Dec 20, 2021