Joie de Vivre is an expression in French to describe situations and people who simply are joyful and cheerful in life. This was an expression friends, family, fellow colleagues and students of Maritza Iberico Reiss used to describe her demeanor and the vibe she exuded from her core in life.
This page is dedicated Maritza – a mother, sister, aunt, friend, kind spirit, generous human and a Spanish teacher at Herricks High School in New Hyde Park and part-time professor at Queens College of New York. In life, she was guided by her mantras: “Look for solutions. Don’t overcomplicate things. Enjoy life. Reach for the stars.’’ Sadly Maritza passed away on April 20, 2020 after an unfortunate battle with COVID19 at the young age of 65.
In honor of her memory and passion for language a non profit organization has been created to help students with a passion for language peruse their education at University. The Joie de Vivir foundation is a non-profit 501(C)(3) organization.
This site will serve as both a presence for the non-profit organization that has been formed in her name and a memorial for her past students, colleagues, friends and family to honor her memory through sharing memories, photos, videos and other mementos.
Every year the Joie de Vivir Mir foundation will present a student from Herricks High School who exhibits academic excellence with a passion and commitment to study foreign language in college a scholarships award to help pay for their studies. If one day this foundation can grow even greater we hope to expand our reach and students across the country who share a passion for language, culture and commitment to communicate with those from different backgrounds/ cultures.
Joie de Vivre Mir is tax exempt under Section 501(C)(3) of the IRS code. All donations are tax deductible per U.S. code using the tax ID number – 88-4268628
Mailing address:
Joie de Vivre MIR Inc.
P.O. Box 4227
New Windsor NY, 12553