Obituary of Mary Ann Spatz

Mary Ann Spatz, 77, of Wyckoff, died peacefully at home surrounded by her family on Tuesday, August 21, 2018, following a two-year battle with lymphoma. 

Mary Ann was born in Jersey City, NJ, the daughter of the late John E. and Mary O. (nee Ilvento) Dimatteo.  She attended high school at St. Aloysius Academy, Jersey City NJ, and graduated cum laude from Fordham University with a B.S. in Secondary Education.  She later earned her M.S. in Counseling from Iona College.

Shortly after college, she married her high school sweetheart, Kevin Spatz, with whom she enjoyed nearly 55 years of marriage.  As newlyweds they were stationed in Fort Knox, KY, before moving to Somerset, NJ and then making their life-long home in Wyckoff, NJ in 1971.  

Her teaching, advising, and counseling career spanned decades – at Ferris High School, Sicomac Elementary School, Ramapo College, and St. Elizabeth Elementary School.  Later, she established St. Thomas Aquinas College’s first Higher Education Opportunity Program.  At William Paterson University, she assisted and then directed the Academic Support Program, and later she directed the Sponsored Student Program where she received a national award for student retention rates.  Throughout her career, she supported countless grade school, high school, and college students - as well as adults - through academic, personal, and spiritual counseling. 

As an active parishioner at St. Elizabeth’s RC Church, Wyckoff, NJ, and with tremendous faith, she served in the music ministry, was a CCD teacher, Eucharistic Minister, founding member of the prayer group, and Cub Scout den mother.

One of her greatest joys was spending time with family and friends.  Among her many skills were sewing, performing, playing guitar, singing, writing poetry, and creating art in various media.

She was an accomplished baker and cook, carrying on her mother's legacy.

She enjoyed music and theater, traveling, attending cultural events, and visiting historical sites.  A favorite place was Spring Lake, NJ.

She was the widow of Kevin Spatz and is survived by her sister, Faith Dimatteo, brothers, Peter Dimatteo, MD and John Dimatteo, four loving sons and their wives, whom she loved as daughters: Kevin and Jean of Ho-Ho-Kus, John and Jean of Wyckoff, Keith and Erin of Newton, MA and Matthew and Anne of Midland Park; her seven cherished grandchildren: Sean, Connor, Brooke, Ryan, Daniel, Anne, and Makena; and her many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

The family will receive family and friends on Friday, August 24 from 2:00-4:00 and 7:00-9:00 PM at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, www.vpfh.com, 257 Godwin Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ 07481.

 A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, August 25 at 10:00 AM at St. Elizabeth’s RC Church, 700 Wyckoff Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ 07481. The interment will follow at Holy Name Cemetery, 823 West Side Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306.  As an expression of sympathy, in lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Mary Ann Spatz may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 14 Commerce Drive, Suite 301, Cranford, NJ, 07016.