Lynbrook's Man and Woman of the Year

“It is very thoughful to be recognized for what you do,” said this year’s Lynbrook Woman of the Year, Mae Ann Barrella, who, along with the Man of the Year, Richard Renz, were honored for their dedication and service by the Lynbrook community at a village board meeting on June 21.

“I was flustered and flabbergasted,” Barrella, a mother of four and grandmother of ten, said about winning the award. “I was really suprised because I did not know I was nominated.”

Lynbrook Mayor Brian Curran and the Lynbrook Village Board spearheaded the ceremony, which was held before the village regular board meeting. Deputy Mayor William Hendrick said both Renz and Barrella are well-deserving of the honor. “Richie Renz helps everybody,” he said. “He is an excellent choice for the committee. And Mae Ann Barrella is such a lovely woman. After I heard she donated her time at Our Lady Of Peace and St. Mary of the Isle, she deserves this award.”

Their efforts have left quite an impression on people like Janice Bohn, who wrote a letter to the Summer Celebration Committee in Lynbrook to nominate Barrella for the coveted award.

“My perception of the ideal Woman of the Year for Lynbrook should represent the highest qualities of a good American citizen,” Bohn said in her nomination letter. “A woman who is recognized by her peers, her co-workers, her neighbors and friends as the person to go to in times of need. We have found that woman right here in Lynbrook — Mae Ann Barrella.”

Barrella lends a helping hand to many people, projects, and initiatives around Long Island, including serving as lector and eucharistic minister at Our Lady Of Peace Church in Lynbrook. She also spends many hours collecting, sorting, and delivering clothes and toiletries to assist hospitalized veterans at the New York State Veterans Home in St. Albans. And the list of her faithful accomplishments does not stop there — Barrella alos collects and delivers walkers, canes, and wheelchairs to St. Mary of the Isle in Long Beach and visits assisted living residences in Lynbrook on a weekly basis.