Connie Matricardi

Mary Constance Adler Matricardi (Connie) passed away on February 22, 2026, after a surprising diagnosis of terminal brain cancer in late November. Connie lived her last few months as she wished: in her apartment, surrounded by her art and books, while enjoying many visits from friends and family.

Although she was an only child, Connie was surrounded by her close-knit Irish family in South Baltimore’s Federal Hill neighborhood, with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins living all within a few blocks. She attended the Institute of Notre Dame and went on to study art at Marywood University in Pennsylvania. It was in nearby Scranton that she met her husband, Ed, with whom she was married for 53 years until he passed in 2021. After their wedding, Ed and Connie spent over a year as volunteers with the Peace Corps in Brazil. Upon returning to the states, Connie taught elementary art in Washington DC and Baltimore City, with a brief position in Maryland’s Department of Human Services.

After her daughter was born, Connie began making brightly colored felt hand puppets, and what began as a homemade craft became a small business creating puppets and “pillow people” — caricatures of famous figures including Edgar Allen Poe, Emily Dickinson, Sigmund Freud, Sherlock Holmes, Gertrude Stein, and many more, which she sold in local shops and museums.

A longtime member of The Society of Craft Designers, she published numerous patterns and designs in popular magazines including "Good Housekeeping" and "Better Homes and Gardens". While raising her children and running her business, she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

A lover of Baltimore’s history and culture, Connie worked as a docent at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, the City Life Museum, and the Flag House. She later worked with the Baltimore County Department of Aging Senior Box Office, helping make national and local cultural events accessible to the community.

As a staunch feminist, Connie had a particular passion for promoting women’s history and women in the arts. That commitment culminated in one of her final projects, "Fabric Portraits: Older Women in the Arts", honoring creative women who continued their work well into later life. The collection will be exhibited from April 10- May 8 in a solo show at the Enoch Pratt Free Library.

Rivaling her devotion to the arts, history, and culture was her devotion to family. She showed her love through presence and steadfastness — traveling often frequently to spend time with children and grandchildren, and serving as Ed’s devoted end-of-life caregiver during his illness.

In the last few months of her life, Connie faced her own terminal diagnosis with stoicism and strength. Her favorite motto, particularly directed at women and girls, became a simple directive: “Be Bold.”

A memorial celebration will be held in conjunction with a closing reception for her posthumous exhibition at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, 400 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, on Saturday, May 2, between noon and 3 p.m. Please RSVP at: https://tinyurl.com/rsvp-connie

Connie is survived by her daughter, Jayne Matricardi-Burke, son-in-law, Sean Burke; her son, Phillip Matricardi, daughter-in-law, Barbara Witek Matricardi; and grandchildren Finn Burke, Theo Burke, Clara Matricardi, and Rosalia Matricardi.

Donations in Connie’s memory may be made to Heifer International to help sustainably end hunger, or White Ribbon Alliance Global, which advocates for maternal and reproductive health justice.