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Florence T Traber 1922-2008

Florence T. Traber, a pioneer of Columbia, passed away on November 9, 2008. She was the beloved widow of Peter Traber and loving mother of Dr. Peter G. Traber of Houston, Texas, Attorney Theresa M. Traber of Pasadena, California, and ex-Oriole baseball player and sports talk radio host James Traber of Norman, Oklahoma. She also leaves 9 grandchildren, three nieces, 2 nephews and sister-in-law Mary E. Garfall of Johnstown, New York.

 

Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1922, Flo was brought up in Johnstown, New York and graduated from Johnstown High School in 1941 as Valedictorian of her class. She played all sports that were available to females at that time and was a tennis champion. She was a cheerleader and the Senior Class Treasurer.

 

Flo attended N.Y. State College for Teachers in Albany, NY, later renamed the State University of New York in Albany. She was very active in sports and student government. She served as President of the Freshman Class, President of the Sophomore Class, President of the Junior Class, and in her senior year, she was President of the Student Association. She graduated in 1945 with a BS, Cum Laude, and later added a Masters degree in Education.

 

Her teaching career of nine years was spent in Warrensburg Central School, Canajoharie High School, and Johnstown High School. She served as Senior Advisor in all three schools and acted as coach for the cheerleaders in JHS. She played golf and tennis and also became an avid skier.

 

In 1954, she married Peter Traber of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They met at the Canajoharie Country Club, where Flo played golf. Their three children were born in different states – Peter in N.Y., Theresa in Pennsylvania, and Jim in Ohio.

 

The majority of Flo’s married life was spent in Maryland – 5 years in Hagerstown and 34 years in Columbia. Because her children were in Howard County public schools, Flo decided to substitute in the schools, where she taught for about 20 years. She was active in the PTAs and Booster Clubs of Glenelg and Wilde Lake High Schools, and at Wilde Lake she served as President of the Wilde Cat Boosters for several years.

 

Flo enjoyed golf and tennis in Columbia and also taught tennis lessons for the Howard County Department of Recreation for five years. A change in her health made it necessary for her to curtail these sports in the last decades of her life. While still in Columbia, she continued to swim at the Wilde Lake Swim Center.

 

Flo attended St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic congregation at the Wilde Lake Interfaith Center and served on the Parish Board in its early years. Over the years, she remained active on many committees and served as a Eurcharistic minister at mass, at the Lorien Nursing Home and at Harmony Hall Retirement Home.

 

In 2002, Flo moved to Pasadena, California, where she has lived with her daughter, Theresa, and her family. Her activities have been more limited – ping pong instead of tennis and watering the flowers and trees instead of golf. She became a member of the Pasadena Senior Center and a parishioner of St. Elizabeth’s Church of Altadena, California where she was an active member of the Mission Circle.

 

 In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc., 1531 James M. Wood Blvd., P.O. Box 15095, Los Angeles, CA 90015 Telephone: (213) 251-3400; e-mail: info@CatholicCharitiesLA.org; www.CatholicCharitiesLA.org.