Remembering Dr. Maureen Hanley

Remembering Dr. Maureen Hanley

N O T E S F R O M S T U D E N T S & C O L L E AG U E S N E W E N G L A N D C O L L E G E O F O P T O M E T RY BOSTON, MA –1–

–2–

When New England College of Optometry (NECO) learned of the heartbreaking passing of Maureen Hanley, OD, Class of 1981 and a beloved faculty member for more than 40 years, the news spread swiftly through our community. Students, staff, faculty, and alumni alike were deeply moved, and within hours, NECO’s social media pages were flooded with hundreds of heartfelt tributes to an extraordinary educator, mentor, and friend.

The following pages capture just a small glimpse of the profound impact Dr. Hanley had on those who had the privilege of knowing her. Each memory shared is a testament to her boundless kindness, unwavering dedication, and relentless pursuit of excellence in optometric education.

Dr. Hanley’s legacy lives on through the thousands of students she guided and inspired throughout her career—students who have gone on to care for countless patients across the world. Her warmth, humor, and one-of-a-kind teaching style will forever be a source of inspiration for educators and clinicians alike.

May her spirit continue to shine brightly in the work of all those she touched.

–3–

Rest in peace, Dr. Hanley.

One of my favorite preceptors during my residency. A truly kind person.

The most caring individual one could ask for. So sad to hear the news. She will be missed.

Such fond and fun memories of Dr. Hanley. We went back for a visit in 2017, and even though it was 20 years later, she remembered us. A big loss for NEWENCO and optometry.

So privileged to have been taught by Dr. Hanley. My condolences to her family for the loss of such a wonderful woman and doctor. May she rest in peace.

Such a force at NECO. Irreplaceable and unforgettable. She has made such an impact on hundreds of her patients, but a thousandfold more through all her students. Will miss all the times she talked about the “bared vessels” and the corneas.

Larger than life is the perfect way to describe her! Her light radiated from her and touched so many students’ lives. It was an honor to be taught by Dr. Hanley.

Such a legend.

She was so dedicated to teaching and to our profession. She will be missed.

She was great to work with and always very cheerful and helpful.

So sad to hear this. She was an amazing person, great friend, and dedicated professor.

She will be sorely missed.

–4–

Rest in peace, Dr. Hanley! It was a pleasure to have you as a teacher.

May she sleep in the sweetest peace.

My condolences to her family. She had a great personality.

Loved her style of teaching ,“Tell me when you see it.” Also loved how she took charge, especially when calmly explaining and showing how to use a three-mirror to gently get that eyeball back into its orbit on one or two Graves’ Disease patients. Will be missed.

NECO has big shoes to fill.

You will be missed Dr. Hanley, you were a great teacher. May your soul rest in peace.

You were a legend, Dr. Hanley. Thank you.

Prayers for her family. Dr. Hanley was a very passionate and memorable professor at NECO and will always be remembered. I don’t think anyone in the class of 1999 that sat in her ocular disease class will ever forget what a “pepperoni in macula” is!

A wonderful person and teacher. Thank you, Dr. Hanley for being such an inspiration.

She made me the doctor I am today.

Fondly remembered classmate, NEWENCO ‘81. Condolences to her family.

Rest in peace, Dr. Hanley. I will never forget you!

–5–

Back in the mid 80’s (yup, long ago!) she was teaching a class on visual fields.

To explain something in class she spread-eagled herself against a wall, pronouncing, “I am the chiasm.” It was pretty funny at the time.

Incredibly sad to hear this news. Dr. Hanley made the greatest impact on all her students at NECO. Her untraditional teaching style is what challenged and inspired me everyday to do better. She’s one of the reasons I love what I do. I hope her family finds peace in the impact she made on so many students. She was supporting me through tough times and I’ll never forget her kindness and humor.

Sad to hear. She was OD4 when I was OD1.

Maureen, NECO will not be the same without you. We will miss you.

Heaven couldn’t wait for you. Rest in peace, you legend!

May she rest in peace. She will surely be missed. I’m so grateful for everything I learned from her. Condolences to her family.

Great human being and professor. Still remember her thorough and funny visual field analysis.

I remember her from my years there. She was a great teacher that cared for her students.

My heart goes out to Dr. Hanley’s family and loved ones. She was an incredible lecturer who left an indelible mark on my life. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from her.

She will be missed. Left a lasting impression on all of her students.

–6–

Dr. Hanley was a special part of NECO and left lasting impressions on all of us. Her lectures and lessons were always dynamic and she found ways to help us learn and remember.

Working with her at JYP during third-year rotations was an experience I definitely won’t forget. This is a big loss to the NECO community, and it’s sad that future students won’t get to meet such a passionate mentor.

I remember how everyone knew how bad she was with names and one day she entered the elevator when I was in it and she said, “Hello, David” and I was so startled that she remembered my name. Whenever I saw her in the hall, she said, “Hello, David.” I thought that I might have been on her good side or something! Some two weeks later, “Hello, Daniel,” and she never remembered my name again! LOL. She was an amazing human being and a phenomenal professor. She will be dearly missed.

I am so sad to hear of the loss of my colleague, friend and neighbor, Maureen Hanley. She was one of a kind: smart, witty, caring, and intentionally (or sometimes unintentionally!) hilarious. Her unflappable authenticity was admirable. Her never-ending concern for the well-being of students defines NECO. My heart hurts for her family and our NECO family.

“Tell me when you see it!” Her classes were always the most exciting. Thank you for the many fond memories.

Privileged to be taught by Dr. Hanley! I will always think of her when I look at the visual fields.

One of my favorite professors at NECO. I will always remember her distinctive New England accent.

A professor who helped to shape my life. An amazing soul!

No one will ever forget, “Tell me when you see it!” Such a great professor to so many students.

–7–

Mention of Dr. Hanley’s name always conjures up a smile for me, even decades later.

She was caring, a unique character, and a legendary figure in our NEWENCO family.

She played a significant role in my training, and I’ll never forget our time together learning BP and VFs. I wasn’t lucky enough to participate in her neighborhood clinic, but I would have loved to. I’m sure the stories would’ve been endlessly unforgettable. You were larger than life here, and I’m sure you’ll be it there as well. Rest peacefully, Dr. Hanley!

May she rest in peace. I always think of her when doing BIO as she yelled at us about keeping the proper distance from the patient. She was a gem. Our condolences to the NECO community and her family.

Dr. Hanley will be so missed. I worked with her in South Boston at the Healthcare for the Homeless program. She showed such care for all of her patients there. Sending lots of love to her family.

She was a wonderful character with a great sense of humor and a kind soul. She left an indelible mark on so many of us. She’ll be missed!

My condolences. I remember her well. I used to go to her apartment and she would tutor me. It was the late 90s and she had just adopted a new baby boy!

An absolute legend. I love that she taught everyone medical pronunciations with her thick New England accent, so we all went out into the world pronouncing everything her way!

She would have her husband come pick us up at the end of our shift so we wouldn’t have to travel alone late at night, and always made sure we got home safely. She cared so deeply about every single student. Rest in peace, Dr. Hanley!

Dr. Hanley’s impact on the NECO community cannot be overstated, and I feel so fortunate to have had her as an educator and a mentor. She will be deeply missed. Her legacy will live on through all the lives she touched.

–8–

When I think back on my time at NECO, Dr. Hanley is always one of the first to come to mind. I was so fortunate to have worked with her for a full year at Jean Yawkey Place during my second year. Her mentorship and guidance absolutely shaped my education and my future as an optometrist.

I think of her often when examining patients, especially when evaluating visual fields and optic nerves. She taught me so much about optometry, but she also taught me to trust in myself, my abilities, and my knowledge, while toughening me up a bit in the process (in her famous and always loving way). She cared so much for her patients and students, and always went out of her way to make sure we were all taken care of.

She will be greatly missed. My condolences to her family.

Dr. Hanley, I hope you’re resting in peace, but honestly you’re probably just running another pre-clinic and continuing on being an absolute legend in some other part of our universe.

What a great teacher and mentor. She touched so many lives.

Dr. Hanley was an amazing professor, mentor, and such a lovely person. I cannot look back at my time at NECO without having many great memories with her. Dr. Hanley’s sense of humor and boisterous laugh always put a smile on my face. She will be greatly missed by all. Sending prayers and healing thoughts to her family.

She was a gem, so sad to hear this news. How can you forget, “I am the chiasm,” and “Okay, crew.” She would task us to find something—anything—notable on that cornea.

“Get back in there and find it!” To this day, I have yet to find a perfect cornea.

I feel so sad to know that Dr. Hanley has passed away. I will always remember her great classes on visual fields.

–9–

You were a force like no other, Dr. Hanley. A true champion for learning and our profession.

You took your time to make sure everyone learned, even those who were struggling to understand things. You made class fun and so very memorable. I cannot think of NEWENCO and not think of you. Thank you for all that you taught me. Rest in peace, and may the Force stay with you.

Dr. Hanley was one of the most caring professors I’ve ever encountered. I feel so lucky to have worked closely with her in class as the AV tech. There were no doubts about how much she cared for her students and truly wanted to see us succeed. Rest in peace, Dr. Hanley.

I’m very sad to know about Dr. Hanley‘s passing. She was a true force of nature. In my early years as a student, I will never forget her standing up on a desk to get our attention.

Her empathy and commitment to our learning experience was steadfast.

Dr. Hanley was one-of-a-kind. She cared so deeply for the students and the profession.

We will miss you!

Dr. Hanley was an incredibly caring person with a human touch when dealing with patients. I will remember her for her big laughter.

When I think of NECO, I always think of Maureen: her energy, her dedication, and her love for teaching. Maureen has been an integral part of the NECO community for many years, raising multiple generations of optometrists. She knew every student’s name in every class and cared so much about their growth and well-being. Maureen is bigger than life and will forever be in our hearts.

Rest in peace, Maureen. You gave so much to so many! I hope there is a lot of peanut brittle where you are!

– 10 –

I remember my first day at NECO as a new employee. I followed Dr. Hanley into 424 Beacon and watched her scan her ID at the door. I grabbed the door after she opened it and she immediately turned around and said, “Why are you following me into the building? Who are you? What are you doing here?” When I sheepishly said that I was a new employee and it was my first day, she said, “How do I know that’s true? Please come with me to the office.”

I thought to myself, ‘Wow, is this how they welcome all the new staff here?’ Once the office staff explained who I was and gave me my new ID, Dr. Hanley apologized by saying, “I didn’t mean to scare you. But now you know that NECO has rules that need to be followed.” One had to respect that type of authority.

Sad news. She WILL be missed! Condolences to her family.

Dr. Hanley had a gem of a heart and a brilliant mind. She was such an icon! Always knew how to make my day better and provide the best advice. I worked very closely with Dr. Hanley throughout my time at NECO, but even afterwards. My favorite time was during COVID when she called me and asked me to work for her and assist with transcript/lecture notes for ODP class. We had many weekly one-on-one meetings together and not only did I learn a lot from her wisdom, but her sense of humor is something I will always cherish.

She had such a unique energy about her and cared so much about her students. I will miss the random texts, like “Please kindly call me,” which turned into long conversations. I will miss her a lot, especially looking up to her for advice. I owe a lot of who I am today to Dr. Hanley for shaping me into the clinician I am. Your memory will remain eternal.

Dr. Hanley was memorable not only for her incredible intelligence, but her incredible kindness as well. Her legacy will live on in so many of us whose careers she shaped.

Rest in peace, you will be so, so missed.

Prayers to her family! Dr. Hanley was an amazing teacher with a uniqueness like no other.

– 11 –

I had her 30+ years ago, and again more recently for our glaucoma course in MA. When I ran into her recently, she remembered my name. Many memories, and a big loss to the optometric community.

Rest in peace Dr. Hanley. She made everyone a better doctor! Glad to have worked alongside her at the VA. Dr. Hanley, thank you for sharing your immense wisdom and genuine care for me and all the students under your wing. You inspired all of us to become astute clinicians.

Your humor also made the learning experience at NECO so much more memorable.

Your legacy will be everlasting.

She will be missed! I saw Dr. Hanley everyday during my 11 years at NECO. A very nice and brilliant person!

Great educator, resourceful. I’ll never forget the stilts act when emphasizing tallness in Marfan’s Syndrome, and tough when she needed to be. Amazing memory: she identified me immediately when I stepped into the elevator at NECO after more than 20 years of not seeing me! Her dedication will not be forgotten.

“Alright, let’s mosey!”

The Dr. Savard and Dr. Vishton families are forever grateful for knowing her. She changed our lives. Without her strength, neither of us would have been able to achieve our dreams and become the proficient and caring doctors we have become.

An absolute legend at NECO, she’s someone you will never forget. Such a caring woman and preceptor.

– 12 –

Dr. Hanley, thank you so much for everything you gave us. You have left a lasting legacy with every student who was so lucky to have you. I’m so fortunate you were part of my education, not only as an optometrist, but as a young adult who was learning to grow up and become who I was meant to be. Thank you for encouraging us to embrace life and to do all we can to help the world around us, even when it’s tough. You will be so very missed.

Dr. Hanley had a heart of gold. Not only was she a dedicated and passionate teacher, she truly cared for each and every one of her students. She was someone you could rely on and was such a support when Paul was going through treatments, even opening up her home as a place to stay. Her generosity and spirit will never be forgotten. She played a large role in shaping the doctors we are today. She was one of the first people to hear the news of mine and Chuck’s engagement as we were in Boston and stopped to visit her at NECO. Love and prayers to her family and may she rest in peace.

Every time I begin slit lamp examination for a patient, I fondly remember Dr. Hanley as the professor who taught me how to do it correctly, how she told my whole class that we would eventually learn how to perform a slit lamp exam so well that we would be like Mozart playing the piano, but first she had to teach us how to play the “Happy Birthday” song. She squeezed excellence out of her students, and she did it in a way that let us know we could achieve it if we worked hard. And every time I see a presentation shown on Kodachrome, I will always think of her. She was a terrific teacher, mentor, and parent to all of us “NEWENCO” (as we called it back then) kids! I wish her the most peaceful rest.

Rest in peace Dr. Hanley. Thank you for all of the support and guidance while I was a student.

Truly a legend. Anyone who knew Dr. Hanley knew how much she cared about NECO and optometric education. She was a unique mentor as my professor and then later as a colleague. She will be missed dearly.

Dr Hanley will be missed. Can still hear, “quick as a bunny” and “glaucomer.”

– 13 –

A big loss for the NECO community. Dr Hanley will be missed by all.

Amazing teacher!

“Eye-va, please kindly call me.” Glaucomer and scotomer! I heard those a million times!

Such a special soul. NECO will never be the same. After I hit my head on campus, she made sure I was okay that night and called me multiple times to check on me, since she knew I lived alone and didn’t have any family nearby.

She will be missed! “When I say 16, you say cornea-r!”

Dr. Hanley is one of the most iconic staples of NECO history. She is loved and will be missed.

Dr. Hanley was a fiercely caring and impassioned doctor and professor. Her persona is larger than life and won’t be forgotten.

She once told me, “I know I’m not your mother, but I am your optometry mother.”

So true for many of us.

What a lovely soul she was. Sending her family much love and condolences during this time. She definitely left an impact on me, and I think about her often.

Sad to hear this news. An optic nerve disease legend. May she rest in perfect peace.

You can’t think of NECO and not think of Dr. Hanley — they are one and the same.

An amazing professor with a hilariously unique personality and abundance of passion for the field of optometry and her students. I’ll never forget her!

– 14 –

Truly one of the most caring people out there. She saved a place in her heart for every student she had. It was a privilege to have known her.

A wonderful person, a huge loss to NECO and the optometric community.

Dr Hanley ALWAYS made herself available for any and all students/staff/colleagues seeking knowledge or her advice at any hour of any day. A truly selfless warrior of the optometric field. She will be so missed and remembered dearly.

Such a loss for our community. She had a big brain and an even bigger heart.

She made sure we had ‘all of our ducks in a row’ when it came to glaucoma. Let’s raise a glass of Coca-Cola in her memory. Thank you for the care, guidance, and memories at NECO. The one and only — Dr. Hanley!

Too many “Hanley-isms” to recount them all. Truly a loss for the profession and for academia. Such an influential person in my growth as a clinician. She connected with us.

We bonded over our love of cats and often shared new pictures of our cats when we would see each other on campus. Dr. Hanley will be greatly missed. May her legacy continue through all her students who she loved so much.

She was the most caring, thoughtful, dedicated optometry “mother of all students.”

She was be sorely missed! A great loss to NECO and the optometric community.

Dr. Hanley had a heart of gold. She was selfless, kind, brilliant, incredibly funny without meaning to be, and truly went out of her way to care for everyone around her. A legend, and I’ll miss her dearly.

– 15 –

A true NECO gem. Her compassion and dedication to her students and patients will be greatly missed. I don’t think any NECO student can draw a disc diagram with “glaucomer” without thinking of her.

There will never be anyone like her. What an inspiration.

I won a $5 bill signed by her during an ODP lecture and I’m going to genuinely treasure it for the rest of my life. Dr. Hanley, your absence will be deeply felt for the rest of my time at NECO. Dr. Hanley is NECO. An absolute legend who will be greatly missed by all who knew her, and definitely all of us, her former students.

I remember spending many days after class with Dr. Hanley in her office. She genuinely cared for her students and this news is deeply saddening.

Dr. Hanley was the most selfless person I have ever met, and she treated each and every one of us like her own children. Always willing to talk at any time of day. She has touched the souls of thousands of students over the years and her memory will continue to guide us.

Dr. Hanley spent a lot of time with us in our second year. We would spend around eight hours each week with her. She was so committed to making sure we learned all the ocular diseases and also made time out of this to continue to teach us and be there for us.

Truly was our optometry mother. We will miss her greatly.

– 16 –

Dr. Hanley was a NECO icon, and will be forever missed. She was my professor and later colleague, and the feeling that I was in trouble whenever she called my name never quite faded. I will never forget when I had an episode of vision loss as a student, and she checked me out personally and followed up for a week afterwards to ensure I was doing okay. Truly an inspiration as a person and as a teacher.

When I was a resident, I helped with after-hours PPO practice sessions. I left my wallet at an education course in Rhode Island and was low on gas and didn’t realize it until I got to Boston. She tracked down the person in charge of the course to find my wallet, and then gave me money for gas. That’s just the type of person she was. She will be greatly missed.

Dr. Hanley was an amazing woman, optometrist, mother, professor, and NECO legend.

She was a mother to us all at NECO. So selfless and cared about each and every student’s success. She will be deeply missed.

Thank you, Dr. Hanley, for everything. You have touched so many lives and I still keep your teachings with me forever. May you rest in peace.

Dr. Hanley loved her students and went above and beyond for us. Such a talent at NECO. Dr Hanley was the best. We will miss you!

Dr. Hanley was truly one of a kind. Always pushing us to be our best in class and lab. And always made us laugh. I remember her very animatedly calling out to me, “You’re sideways, honey!” when she saw my optic nerves in lab once. You will be missed.

Thanks for everything!

“Where’s my runner? I know you’re here, where are you? Ah, there he is!”

– 17 –

I graduated from MCPH’s optometry, but trained under Dr. Hanley at Upham’s Corner Community Health Center during my fourth-year externship. I remember her riding in on her bicycle. She would call my name whenever I needed to assist the third-years and I was always impressed watching her scleral depress every patient, as well as experiencing her deep passion for optometry.

A wonderful teacher and a beautiful person. She comes to my mind every time I have a complicated glaucoma case. So lucky to have had the opportunity to learn from her.

Dr. Hanley was such a strong woman who would speak out if she noticed an injustice.

I will forever remember her Boston pronunciation of my name.

An amazing clinician, teacher, and woman. NECO and Boston lost a real legend. I’ll forever miss that playful banter we had at 8:00am in ODP. Her energy, selflessness, and passion will be forever missed. Rest in peace.

Loved Dr. Hanley! She was the best!

Such a privilege to have learned from her. She always made herself available to help in any way possible, even outside of school. Dr. Hanley will be truly missed.

Dr. Hanley was a second mother to us all. She advocated for students all around, and was so passionate for the field of optometry and teaching the next generation of ODs. I am grateful I had the opportunity to work with her at Upham’s, and for the rides she and Bob offered to get me home safely. She will be so missed.

Dr. Hanley was an absolute force of nature in the best possible way! She cared for everyone deeply, and demanded our best. What a profound loss for our community.

– 18 –

Dr. Hanley was the one who encouraged me to go back to residency two years out of school after I started working at NECO. Wouldn’t be where I am without her. Honored to have been taught by her, and to work with her. The heart of NECO and someone who put their heart and soul into the school and into the students she taught. There aren’t enough words to describe the impact she had on everyone she taught, and how amazing and caring she was. Rest in the sweetest peace, Dr. Hanley. You will be missed so much.

Dr. Hanley not only helped many of us students through our optometric education, she also helped us make our move to Boston easier. When I first moved, she always asked me if I got settled and even lent me some kitchen appliances until I was able to get my own.

She cared so much about her students and was willing to help students for hours and hours. I will never forget everything she’s done for her students. May you rest in peace.

“Ma” Hanley!

Dr. Hanley was dedicated to her students. She had empathy for anyone going through a hard time. Thank you, Dr. Hanley, you’ll always be a huge part of our NECO experience.

NECO lost an absolute legend. I’ll never forget learning how to look at angles and her looking through the teaching tube saying, “These are so big, you could drive a truck through ‘em” and I still say that, in her voice, in my head daily at work. What a wonderful, strong, female optometrist I am so proud to have learned from!

When you think of someone with a passion for teaching and optometry, you immediately think of Dr. Hanley. She was an incredible person, to say the least. I’ll be forever grateful for our time together when I was a class liaison for ODP. She will be dearly missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing and being taught by her.

Her legacy continues through to all the patients her former students care for.

– 19 –

I can’t thank her enough for everything she did to prepare each and every one of us for our future optometry careers. Our NECO experience would not have been the same without her, and I will never forget her going above and beyond for any student who needed her help.

Dr. Hanley embodied the very best in teaching. She had genuine concern for her students and everyone she encountered. Dr. Hanley will always bring a smile and evoke a little bit of fear from being called upon in lecture, as I occasionally dozed off in some of her ocular disease lectures. I will miss our drives to VA Roxbury where she would often share “helpful driving tips” along the way. Your presence will be missed, but never forgotten in the halls of NECO. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Dr. Hanley.

Dr. Hanley was a NECO legend and glaucoma queen! She was such a sweet lady. She took the time to meet with students and teach them when they didn’t understand. She would always wave to me while she biked on Mass Ave. She will be missed!

Dr. Hanley will forever be a core memory of my time NECO. I would not be the provider I am today without her. Thank you, Dr. Hanley. May you rest in peace.

Dr. Hanley was a person with great love. She was the optometry mom for all of us. She was always available to us, no matter when you emailed/called her. I remember during the pandemic shut down, as she knew I just had a baby, she checked on me to make sure if financially I needed any help.

A truly brilliant and compassionate person! I happened to be in the hospital before part one of boards. She came to see me, had dug up my old exams, and offered to tutor me at the hospital. This both terrified me and is one of the nicest things any professor could ever offer. Until this point, she called me “AV guy,” which still echoes in my head. A very sad day for optometry.

A phenomenal teacher who truly cared about her students and patients!

– 20 –

When my niece was born, she was diagnosed with optic nerve hypoplasia in both eyes.

I was a first-year and had no idea what it even was. I asked Dr. Hanley (our ONH queen) what the diagnosis meant. She invited me to her office and photocopied two dozen chapters from different textbooks, wrote a beautiful letter reassuring my sister, and asked for updates on her treatment for years afterwards. She was a really special person and a great mentor.

Dr. Hanley showed up with 100% to give every single day. There’s no one quite like her.

It was an honor learning from her. She will be missed.

One of the most devoted and compassionate professors I’ve ever had, and she always made us laugh. She was truly one-of-a-kind.

Dr. Hanley definitely made a huge impact during my time in school. A lot of tough love, but she meant so well and wanted everyone to succeed.

Dr. Hanley was an amazing professor and mentor who truly cared about her students.

Her support and passion for teaching had a huge impact on my optometry journey.

Whenever I reminisce with old classmates, memories of Dr. Hanley are always cherished.

She’ll be deeply missed. Thinking of her family and the NECO community.

Dr. Hanley was one of the most profound professors I have ever met. Her dedication and passion for teaching was second to none. I have never forgotten her from the time we worked together. My thoughts and prayers to her family.

She was so passionate about optometry and her students. I was in the International Program, but she paid particular attention to all of us, pushed us, encouraged us, rooted for us.

We all knew she was in our corner. It was so good to know she was always there to help us.

She was such a great asset to NEWENCO and will be greatly missed.

– 21 –

A profoundly kind person who I will miss. Her legacy is part of the NECO fabric that makes the college such a special place.

There is such a fine line between being humorous, stern, and caring; its a delicate balancing act.

You have to be pretty smart and genuine to pull it off with 100 doctorate students staring at you each day. But she did it, every lecture, because she was funny, brilliant, and caring.

May her memory be a blessing to us all. “Okayyyyyy...”

I was one of the student seedlings taught by Dr. Hanley. Here’s hoping I’ve sprouted and made some contributions back to the profession to make you proud.

Dr. Hanley was one of a kind. Her big bold personality was only surpassed by the size of her heart. She deeply cared about her patients and her students, and she wasn’t afraid to show it by keeping both firmly in line.

– 22 –

– 23 –

Remembering Dr. Maureen Hanley N O T E S F R O M S T U D E N T S & C O L L E AG U E S N E W E N G L A N D C O L L E G E O F O P T O M E T RY BOSTON, MA

MARCH 2025

– 24 –