Maureen E. Crowley, 75, born March 16th, 1950, passed away peacefully on November 30th, 2025, surrounded by family.
Maureen devoted her career to education, community service, and nonprofit leadership. After earning her B.A. from Douglass College of Rutgers University, she spent three years working at a shelter for battered women in New Jersey. She then completed her Ph.D. in Social Psychology at Purdue University and, in 1989, moved to Manitowoc to begin her faculty position at the University of Wisconsin–Manitowoc (now UW–Green Bay). She taught psychology there for 29 years, retiring in 2018, and ultimately earning the title of Professor Emerita. Throughout her academic career, she remained deeply committed to teaching, mentoring, and advocating for her students.
In addition to her academic work, Maureen was an active community leader. She served on numerous nonprofit boards and committees, including Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), the local domestic violence shelter, and the League of Women Voters, where she also served as President. Within the League, she played a central role on the Mental Health Committee, co-authoring research that highlighted gaps in local services and identified opportunities to strengthen and expand mental health support in Manitowoc County.
Beyond her professional achievements, Maureen was known for her self-deprecating sense of humor, her kindness, her positive outlook, her love of reading, and her remarkable talent for storytelling. She had a deep love for travel and found joy in exploring new places and cultures, often returning with stories that entertained and inspired those around her.
Above all, Maureen loved being a grandmother. She delighted in every part of it – watching them grow, taking them on road trips, exposing them to new places and ideas, and simply being present. Her love for them was limitless, as she often said, and she poured that unconditional love into the active role she played in each of their lives.
Maureen is preceded in death by her parents, Claire and Frank Crowley. She is survived by her daughter, Lisa Legge; her grandchildren, Zachary, Jeremy, and Felicia Legge; and her sisters, Pam Crowley and Gail Gutierrez.
The family invites the community to a celebration of her life on Saturday, December 13th, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Courthouse Pub.
