Maureen Reardon, the oldest Reardon daughter, returned home to Springfield in 1982 following a nasty divorce. Upon arriving, she began working as a secretary for Dr. Ed Bauer, who was also reeling from a nasty divorce with Rita Stapleton, as well as a breakup with socialite Vanessa Chamberlain. The two kindred spirits soon began dating. After months of dating, Ed confessed his love for Maureen. However, Maureen was afraid they might be using each other to keep from feeling lonely and to get over the hurt they'd been through with other people, Ed assured her he wanted to be with her because she made him happy. Later, Maureen accepted Ed's marriage proposal and they married in February 1983.

Soon after, Maureen was thrilled to learn she was pregnant. Although Ed was originally unhappy that Maureen was pregnant, because he felt that he might be too old to be a father, his godson, Kelly Nelson, talked to him and changed his mind. Unfortunately the baby was not meant to be since Maureen then had a miscarriage. In January 1984, Maureen's family intruded into the marriage in an almost insidious way. After a head injury, Maureen's younger brother, Tony, began acting oddly—slurring his speech and getting dizzy. Though Tony's fiancée, Annabelle Sims, and Maureen's mother suspected that Tony might be becoming alcoholic, Maureen, working as Assistant Cedars administrator, wisely suspected otherwise and tried to get Ed to help Tony. In the meantime, Ed himself had to deal with Maureen's boss, Cedars administrator, Warren Andrews and a new resident at Cedars, Dr. John Stephens. Warren ostensibly hired the esteemed Dr. Stephens for the prestige. Indeed Dr. Stephens was known for his work in trying to discover a cure for a rare, but deadly disease known as the Xtabay virus. After several weeks, Maureen finally came face to face with Dr. Stephens, who was none other than her older brother, Jim! Jim told his sister that his work on the Xtabay viru, as well as his identity, had to remain a secret, Maureen, at Jim's request, persuaded Warren Andrews to assign Dr. Stephens to Tony's case along with Ed and Kelly. Ed was not happy at what he perceived as Maureen's deception. Ed, Kelly and Dr. Stephens (really Jim) diagnosed that Tony was suffering from a brain tumor. Thankfully, the tumor was removed through risky surgery. In the meantime, Maureen's conversations with Jim were making Ed suspicious and he, finally, accused Maureen having an affair with Dr. Stephens! Incensed, Maureen walked out. For a short time Maureen and Ed slept in separate bedrooms and Ed felt emasculated by Maureen going above his head in helping Dr. Stephens, Dr. Stephens, though, seemed to disappear and after Bert spoke to Ed about easing up on Maureen, he reluctantly agreed and, later, the marriage got back on track. Meanwhile, after her leg was amputated due to cancer, Bert had to live with Ed and Maureen until she went to live with her sister-in-law, Meta. Meanwhile, Maureen became hospital administrator when Warren resigned and started working for Alexandra Spaulding.

In late 1984, Maureen and Ed's marriage would have more obstacles thrown at it when the pair befriended Fletcher Reade and Claire Ramsey. When Fletcher went to Beirut in February 1985, Claire, Ed and Maureen followed. Tragedy struck when Maureen and Fletcher were mistakenly presumed dead after an explosion. Devastated, Ed and Claire sought comfort in each other's arms and made love. The next day, Fletcher and Maureen returned, alive and well. When they were all back in Springfield, Claire found out she was pregnant. Later, Ed discovered that Fletcher had had a vasectomy so he couldn't be the baby's father. Ed realized that the baby was his. When Maureen found out about the baby, she left Ed. Devastated, Ed fell off the wagon. Unfortunately, Ed's condition did not escape gossipy nurse Charlotte Wheaton. Suspecting that Ed had fathered Claire's child, and feeling jealous, Charlotte leaked Ed's alcoholism to newswoman Alicia Rhomer. However, unknown to everyone, Charlotte had another motive for ruining Ed Bauer. For years earlier, Ed had once treated Charlotte's mother as a patient and she died. Charlotte seemed to get her revenge when Maureen was forced to suspend Ed from Cedars. Reveling in her victory, Charlotte and her boyfriend, Harry, enjoyed a night of champagne and sex in a vacant hospital room. After Harry left, Charlotte fell asleep. Before leaving on suspension, Ed had issued a medication order to nurse Lillian Raines for a patient whom neither knew had been moved from the room in which Charlotte was now snoozing. In the darkened room, Lillian injected the sleeping woman. Later, in the cold light of day, she realized she had injected Charlotte -- who now lay dead! With Charlotte dead, Ed was named as the prime suspect. Luckily, Ed was cleared when Fletcher figured out that Charlotte had been killed by her own sister, Alicia. By this time, Ed had stopped drinking and his marriage to Maureen was back on track.

By this time, Claire had given birth to Ed's daughter, Michelle. Unfortunately, motherhood didn't sit well with Claire, since she was too busy with her career and social life. Since she was temporarily living at the Bauer house, she wanted Ed to take care of Michelle, while she was out having fun and flirting with other men, including her students. She even tried to win Fletcher back but Fletcher was no longer interested in her. Both Maureen and Ed were angry at Claire because of her selfish behavior and considered taking Michelle away from Claire. Though they initially decided to not to fight for custody, in 1986, Claire started leaving Michelle alone in the house when she was out. When Rick found Michelle alone in the house and told Ed about it, Ed decided to fight for custody, making Claire furious. The next weeks were hell for everyone. Claire was a pain and on everyone's case. It was very clear to everyone that Claire was very unstable and needed help. Finally, one day, Ed and Maureen caught Claire trying to smother Michelle with a pillow and Claire lost custody of Michelle to Ed and Maureen. Angry, Claire, who was Rick's medical school mentor, spitefully gave him an undeserved F on his final exam. Afterwards, after being thrown off of a bridge by criminal Cain Harris, Claire fell into a coma. After lying in her coma for weeks, Claire regained consciousness, admitted Rick that she altered his final exam and collapsed with a brain seizure. After a dangerous operation saved her life, Claire confessed the truth to the medical association. After therapy, Claire let Maureen adopt Michelle and ;left town.

The Bauer marriage would remain stable for the next few years while they supported their friends and family. Then in 1989, an unappreciated Maureen (who was jealous of Ed's sudden concern for his recently returned ex-wife, Holly) flirted with Fletcher and, after Ed saw them kissing, he reunited with Holly. The rift in the Bauer marriage caused them to lose out on adopting a young boy. Devastated, Maureen decided to get a divorce. However, soon after, Holly realized that Ed's heart belonged to Maureen, and she gracefully bowed out of their burgeoning relationship. Ed then reunited with Maureen and, in January 1990, they renewed their vows. Not long after, Maureen learned of a new procedure that could finally enable her to have the child she so wanted, only to find that Ed didn't want another child. When Ed finally changed his mind, Obstetrician Margaret Sedwick performed the operation and told Maureen and Ed that they had a one in three chance of conceiving within the year. Unfortunately, their attempts to conceive were unsuccessful. When their continued attempts at conception failed, in 1991, Maureen took a job as Vanessa Chamberlain Lewis' assistant at Spaulding Enterprises. Meanwhile, Maureen's brother, Sean, arrived in town to hit Ed up for money. Ed refused Sean's request. Later, the Bauers had a new distraction with the arrival of Sean's daughter, Bridget, who came to live with the Bauers that summer. Meanwhile, not long after her fifteenth wedding anniversary, Maureen found a love note from her best friend, Lillian, to Ed. Realizing that Ed had had another affair, a hurt and angry Maureen headed for the Bauer cabin to think. When a remorseful Ed met her there, she became angry and stormed off. Tragically Maureen was killed when her car skidded off the road.

In 1997, a now teenaged Michelle sought her mother's guidance during her difficult courtship with Jesse Blue. Though Maureen was long dead, Michelle still had her memories and through the years would seek out her advice by imagined conversations. In the fall of 2004, when Michelle was suffering from amnesia, her first memory flash was of Maureen. A year later, Maureen's spirit visited a comatose Michelle and urged her to reclaim her life.

Maureen Reardon returned home to nurse a broken heart and wound up finding the love of her life, Ed Bauer. A sensible woman with a big heart, Maureen saw the good in everyone. During her time in Springfield, Maureen was a true friend, a loving wife, and a wonderful mother to Michelle, who she loved as if she were her own. Tragically, Maureen's last days found her reeling from the betrayal of the man she loved and one of her closest friends. Maureen's untimely death left a void in the Bauer family. By everyone who knew her, she is sorely missed.