Saratoga Springs, NY- Maria Chindamo Harrison, 96, passed away on Monday, May 25, 2026, at Saratoga Hospital.

Maria was born in Quito, Ecuador, on June 8, 1929. She grew up there with her mother, Balbina Suarez, her sister Philomena, and her brothers John and Paul. In the late 1940s, she moved to Virginia to attend college. After graduating, she relocated to Queens, New York, where she lived with her cousin Haiti and began her first job as a typist. It was in Queens that Haiti introduced her to Joseph Chindamo, who would become her first husband and the father of her children. After two years of courtship, they married in 1958. Maria embraced her new Italian family with warmth and humor—her first challenge, she often joked, was learning to cook for an Italian man, a task her mother‑in‑law and sister‑in‑law happily helped her master. Maria and Joseph welcomed their first son, Francis, in 1959, followed by Stephen in 1963, and their youngest, Robert, in 1964.

In 1960, Maria and Joseph bought their first home together in Howard Beach, Queens, where she lived for nearly five decades. The family built a joyful life there until Joseph’s passing from cancer in 1981. Maria worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant in the 1960s before becoming a Spanish teacher at Beach Channel High School in Rockaway, New York, in 1970. She taught there with dedication until her retirement in 1990. In 1984, while teaching at Beach Channel, she met Bill Harrison, who would become her second husband. Maria and Bill moved to Saratoga Springs in 2009 and remained devoted to one another until Bill’s passing in 2014.

In Saratoga Springs, Maria quickly became a vibrant and beloved member of the community. She served on the board of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center and organized numerous charity events. As a member of the local garden club, she helped bring beautiful flowers to public spaces throughout the city. She was also an active parishioner at St. Clement’s Church and never missed the Sunday 4 p.m. Mass. Known for her elegance and lively spirit, Maria and her close circle of friends—affectionately called the “Glam Squad”—were well known around town for their love of galas, brunches, and afternoons at the Saratoga Race Track.

Maria is survived by her sons Stephen and Francis, and by her grandchildren, Sara and Robert. She carried the profound loss of her youngest son, Robert, who passed away in 2000, with grace and strength. Maria lived an extraordinary and joyful life, and her warmth, generosity, and kindness touched everyone who met her. She cared deeply for others and leaves behind a legacy of love that will forever be felt by her family, friends, and community.

A viewing will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, May 28th at the William J. Burke & Sons/Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Homes, 628 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (58-584-5373). A funeral Mass will take place the following morning, Friday, May 29th, at 10 a.m. at St. Clement’s Church. Maria’s ashes will be interred with those of her beloved son Robert at Mount Saint Mary Cemetery in Flushing, New York.

Online remembrances may be made at www.burkefuneralhome.com