Author and entrepreneur Maureen Wyman always wanted to live in Victoria Park.

Originally from Rhode Island, she had followed her high school sweetheart to South Florida after obtaining her RN. Maureen was a visiting nurse who often visited patients in Victoria Park as part of her territory. It was then she fell in love with the area.

Years later, after several promotions, Maureen became a Regional Manager for several national home healthcare companies. She earned a Business Degree from Nova College, now known as Nova Southeastern University.

“I was very driven and always wanted to advance my career,” Maureen said.

Despite her work success, Maureen unfortunately went through a divorce after the birth of her son Justin.

"We tried to make it work for two and a half years. We were both struggling, and after several different therapists, we realized it was time to let go,” explained Maureen.

After years as a Regional Manager in New England, a head hunter approached her about buying a fledgling franchise in the home healthcare business in Providence. Maureen agreed to purchase the company and slowly turned it around. Within a year, its staff, specialties, service lines, and reputation had grown. In addition to hiring RNs, PTs, OTs, and CNAs, she developed a Pediatric and High Tech division, which cared for clients with extensive needs.

When asked, what are you most proud of?, Maureen replied, “Employee retention. I had a very loyal staff that stayed with me forever. We were like a family.”

In 2008, Maureen sold the business and retired.

Along with her brothers, she cared for her ailing mother for the next 9 years.  She bought a home in Victoria Park but went back and forth to Rhode Island due to her mom’s condition.

She was on vacation in California in May of 2017 when an unexpected phone call informed her that her ex-husband of 30 years had been in a devastating car accident.

"My dream of being retired and free from caretaking quickly dissolved. It was difficult because I had just dealt with the death of my mother only two months before,” said Maureen.

It was also learned at that time that Justin’s dad had serious memory issues. The big question was, who was going to take care of Dad? For the sake of her son, Maureen fulfilled that role.

It was often a grueling situation as she was not the designated next of kin.  She had to get Temporary Emergency Guardianship, handle his financial affairs, and manage all the medical care and placement in various facilities.

“He had a brain injury as a result of the accident. If you compound that with his undiagnosed dementia, things looked pretty grim,” explained Maureen.

He died four months later.

Maureen finally settled into Victoria Park.

One morning, she spotted a tiny ad in the Victoria Park Times for a writing group seeking new members.

She started going to a weekly group called Marjory’s Friday Writers every Friday. The group was led by Marjory Lyons, PhD, author of "So You Think You Can’t Write.”

“Every week, you had to read a story and be critiqued. I had never written anything but a corporate memo; I was so intimidated!,” says Maureen.

This group showed Maureen that she could write. She was then invited to another group called Wilton Manors Critique Group.

"This was also intimidating, but they taught me how to write,” stated Maureen.

With her newly acquired writing skills as a result of these groups, Maureen wrote Seven Little Words: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Resilience.(Available on Amazon)

The book encompasses the emotional journey of two segments of Maureen’s life. She details what she went through and the memories' impact on her. 

“The book is really about the friends and family that got me through it all,” said Maureen.

Today, Maureen lives full-time in Victoria Park.

She has one son who lives in Rhode Island with his family, and the love of her life is Pepper, her six-year-old granddaughter. They visit often, and Maureen visits them often.

Maureen’s perfect day involves going to the beach in the morning for coffee and gabbing for hours with friends. She also loves to cook and entertain, especially for a crowd.

She is thankful to reside in her bungalow in Victoria Park, a neighborhood that she cherishes so much. As a young woman, she knew this was where she was meant to be.