Dr. Patricia S. Florestano

Dr. Patricia S. Florestano, Born on March 15, 1936, in Washington, D. C., the daughter of Virginia Moriconi Sherer and Wilbur L. Sherer. Her parents had met in D.C. Her father joined the D.C. Police and, later, the White House Police. Her mother was a secretary at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Pat grew up on Georgia Ave., her summers and weekends were spent exploring her beloved city and enjoying Beverly Beach and other local beaches on the Chesapeake Bay. She was an only child whose parents believed that she could accomplish anything she wanted.

After graduating from Roosevelt High School, as Vice President of her class, she went to work at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as a part of its stenographic pool.

She had applied to and been accepted at several small colleges, but in the fall of 1954, she matriculated at the University of Maryland College Park. It was a critical decision in her life, as it turned out, because over the decades much of her personal and professional life revolved around the University. She majored in American Civilization and joined Kappa Delta Sorority where she made many life-long friends. In addition to serving as President of the sorority, she was active in campus student government and numerous campus groups. During her junior year, she met Thomas E. Florestano, who had just returned to the campus after two years of active duty as a military policeman in Korea and Frankfurt, Germany.

The first member of her family to attend college, she graduated in 1958 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Civilization. After graduation she went into public relations. Tom and she were married in November, 1959, residing first in Prince George's County and, later in Crofton, Maryland. Their daughter, Leslie, was born in 1960, and their son, Thomas Jr., in February 1962.

After spending several years at home with her children, Pat began in 1964 to work part time on a Master1s degree in Political Science at the University. Then in 1966, when Tom needed to attend graduate school full time to seek his Doctorate of Education degree, Pat left home making to become Assistant Director of the University of Maryland Alumni Office.

She spent four years with the Office of Alumni Affairs. During that time, she also completed the course work for the Master's Degree, but needed an advisor to finish her thesis. The Department introduced her to a new junior faculty member, Parris Glendening, who was to have a major influence on her career.

In 1970 her husband completed his doctoral studies and was named Dean of Continuing Education at Anne Arundel Community College. Pat was considering going to work in the D. C. office of the National Alumni Affairs Association when Professor Glendening called to offer her a Graduate Assistantship to pursue a doctorate in political science. She spent her first year as Glendening's Teaching Assistant, grading papers, monitoring exams, and taking classes.

In her second year, a Fellowship sent her to Annapolis where, in addition to course work, she was assigned to Maryland State Senator Steny H. Hoyer in his capacity as Chair of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee for the Maryland General Assembly. She moved on in her third year of graduate studies to work for a state level commission on governmental reorganization, but she continued for several years to do speeches and research for Hoyer. During her final year of graduate studies, she taught classes and conducted research on urban policy.

Her doctorate was awarded in 1974, and she accepted a position as Assistant Professor in the newly organized Institute for Urban Studies at the University of Maryland. It was during the next five years as a faculty member with the Institute that she discovered the joy of teaching. From 1979 to 1984, Pat was Director of the Institute for Governmental Service at the University. This was a campus-based problem solving/ consulting enterprise for state agencies and local governments.

In 1985, she became Vice President for Governmental Relations for the University of Maryland System, which was made up of five campuses at that time. The first female to have this job, she was essentially a lobbyist, representing the University System in Annapolis and in Congress, advising on political strategy, and briefing public officials on issues in higher education. Her team included one representative from each campus, and together with professional staff, they all reviewed every one of the 1100-1200 bills submitted to the Maryland General Assembly to see which ones affected the campuses.

From 1990 to 1995, Pat was Professor of Government and Public Administration and Senior Research Fellow in the Center for Public Policy at the University of Baltimore.

Her long-time mentor, Parris Glendening, asked her to be part of the team seeking to elect him, Governor. Glendening was successful, and, at his request, she became a part of his transition team. Subsequently he appointed her to be Maryland's Secretary of Higher Education running the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

With a staff of over 120, the Commission coordinated financial policies, budgets, state scholarship programs, academic reviews. As Secretary, she had to take the lead on the emerging issues of the time, such as distance learning, three-year degrees, and new types of financial aid.

In 2000, she resigned her role as Secretary to spend more time with her husband in their winter home in Naples. However, almost immediately, she accepted the Governor's appointment as a member of the Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland. After confirmation by the Maryland Senate, she went on to serve 15 years on the Board, including a stint as Chairperson. She spent 8 years of that as Chair of the Board's Education Policy Committee; its role was to review all new course and program proposals.

Her beloved husband, Tom, died in 2012 of complications from Parkinson's disease. In 2019, her son, Tom, Jr. passed away unexpectantly.

Although spending winter in Naples, she agreed to a seat on the Foundation Board of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, as well as on the board of her Florida condominium. She was also on the advocacy committee for Planned Parenthood of Southwest Florida, and was a member of the Program Committee for the Democratic Women's group of Naples. She also found time teach at Florida Gulf Coast University. Lastly, she also managed to travel to see the Mayan ruins in Mexico and Guatemala; and see Beijing, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Pat is survived by her daughter, Leslie Florestano Peek and son-in -law Kevin. She is also survived by her niece, Marianna White, as well as a great nephew and several cousins.

She was a force of nature and although she will be deeply missed, she is now with her two “Toms.”

Visitation will be held at John M. Taylor Funeral Home, 147 Duke of Gloucester Street, Annapolis, Maryland on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 pm.

A Mass of Christian Burial in St. Mary's Catholic Church, 109 Duke of Gloucester St, Annapolis, MD 21401 on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at 10:30 am.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Patricia S. Florestano Scholarship at the University of Maryland - https://giving.umd.edu/PatFlorestano