Work honors her late husband
SEAVILLE — Rosie McCoy took some time away from work after her husband died, but that didn’t mean she was idle.
The owner of The Maple Tree Gift Shop and Bloom Studio, which had its grand reopening June 25 in Cedar Square Shopping Center at 2087 Route 9 in Seaville, was busy turning a tragic incident into a lasting legacy.
The 62-year-old’s husband, State Police Sgt. Bryan McCoy, died in 2019 at age 57 of brain cancer attributed to his time at Ground Zero in Manhattan in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
According to his obituary on the State Police website, Sgt. McCoy grew up in Egg Harbor Township. He graduated in 1979 from Absegami High School, where he played football, baseball, wrestled and threw javelin for the track team. He worked as a Hamilton Township police officer prior to enlisting in the New Jersey State Police on June 21, 1984, as a member of the 101st Class. He was assigned to various stations in Troop “A,” Troop “E” and the Marine Services Bureau.
Because Sgt. McCoy had retired and was collecting pension benefits, his family was denied compensation for a death in the line of duty.
“His illness was from what he did while working; he died in the line of duty,” McCoy said. “But he was in the pension system; I was not going to get line-of-duty benefits. I was going to lose my home.”
She said she tried to appeal the decision but was rejected, so the mother of five decided to work within the State Police system to try to fix something she felt was broken.
McCoy said she contacted State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick Callahan and through two years of effort, got a bill passed in the Legislature that Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law May 3, 2021.
Murphy signed S3208, amending current law to provide accidental death benefits to the surviving families of State Police troopers who died of illness following rescue, recovery and cleanup efforts at the World Trade Center.
“I am proud to sign this legislation and support survivors of the troopers who served valiantly in the ruins of the World Trade Center,” Murphy said in signing the law. “We must never forget their heroic sacrifice and must continue to assist the families that troopers, including Sgt. McCoy, left behind.”
“The signing of this bill provides the surviving members of their families the support they need in suffering such a great loss. The sacrifice made by these brave heroes and their families will never be forgotten,” said Wayne Blanchard, president of the State Troopers Fraternal Association.
The benefits will be provided through the State Police Retirement System (SPRS). Previously, accidental death benefits provided through SPRS were for the families of those whose loved ones died because of an accident during the performance of the member’s regular or assigned duties. Under this legislation, the families of troopers who responded to 9/11 and died of health impairments or qualifying illnesses will also be able to collect benefits.
McCoy is proud of her accomplishments in honor of her late husband, saying it will benefit every family moving forward and has opened the door for all first responders to receive such benefits.
She said her family’s “hearts aren’t as heavy because we did something in his honor.”
A new chapter
Achieving what she set out to do, McCoy now has a new project to tackle. She said she intentionally moved into a shopping center that has seen better times to try to bring new life into the Seaville business district.
McCoy, who has been in business for 12 years, first opened in 2008 next to Seaville Diner, selling hand-made gifts and holding classes.
“I’ll be carrying the items you’ve come to love and many more I’ve recently found to share with you,” McCoy posted on her Facebook page ahead of her grand reopening. “The shop will be bigger and more beautiful than ever. Full studio for all workshops and private events like bachelorette parties, and sweet coffee bar to relax and enjoy our freshly ground coffee blends.”
A big part of her business, which she operates with daughter Sasha Giordano, the assistant manager, is Bloom Studio, where she and others teach the community crafts, “from folk art to fine art.”
In the coffee garden, a comfortable spot with a fireplace reminiscent of an Italian villa, she offers gourmet coffee and other goodies.
“It’s pretty unique, actually,” she said of the décor.
She said moving into two units at the downtrodden shopping center has been “amazing, I can’t say enough about it.”
“It has actually bloomed. It went from my original vision and has become this really cool, creative place,” she said.
McCoy said she leased two units and “blew out a wall,” turning what had previously been a tattoo parlor and classroom for a shooting range into a “polar opposite,” a relaxing artistic oasis.
“I was a little scared but had this weird train of thought — maybe I could be the beginning of something,” McCoy said. “A lot of people know my family. I think if people see that I believe in it, maybe others could take a chance.”
She said she chose a location near Cape Regional Medical Center because the area is “so darn convenient. The traffic is moving slowly, people stop in on their way to Acme.”
McCoy said she is very proud of the end product, which she said has “a romantic garden terrace vibe,” noting she loves Italy.
“I wanted people to forget where they were when they walked in,” she said. “I wanted them to get swept away. People really love it.”
McCoy, who grew up in Egg Harbor Township and moved to Upper Township 32 years ago, is a people-person. In addition to adopting Giordano from Russia at 8 years old, she and her husband hosted 33 foreign exchange students over 10 years — 14 for an entire school year — and later worked for the organization placing the students throughout the state.
“We hosted one and realized what a benefit it was to my community; this is not a diverse area,” she said. “I did that because I was so in love with the whole idea of learning about other cultures.”
She said she loves hosting ladies night, bachelorette parties and birthday parties in which guests create crafts under the guidance of an instructor — everything from weaving baskets to decorating cookies and making soap and different styles of jewelry.
McCoy said her reason for holding the classes is two-fold. Participants get an opportunity to learn to make something but also gain an appreciation for hand-crafted items and why they may cost more than mass-produced goods.
“They need to try to make it so they can appreciate how hard it is, that it’s not just somebody making things at home,” she said.
McCoy said she offers 10 percent off to all first-responders in honor of her husband.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
