Marianne Fitzgerald

1955 - 2023

Marianne Schack Fitzgerald, dedicated & beloved wife, mother and grandmother, passed away unexpectedly surrounded by her loving family the evening of Thursday January 5th, 2023, following a brief and unforeseen respiratory ailment.

Marianne was born to Walter and Mary Schack on July 1st, 1955, in Passaic, NJ. She grew up in Garfield, NJ in a loving, family-filled home and community surrounded by numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors and family friends all linked by her local parish, Three Saints Russian Orthodox Church.

After graduating from Garfield High School in 1973, she went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude from Fairleigh Dickinson University, earning a bachelor's degree in accounting in 1977. Thereafter she took her first job as a staff accountant at Popsicle Corporation in Englewood, NJ, all the while staying involved at her church as a first grade Sunday School teacher. It was at Popsicle where she met the love of her life Robert, a relationship that developed while working long overtime hours together followed by impromptu late night dates sampling free frozen novelties from the Popsicle R&D department.

Marianne earned an MBA in accounting from Fairleigh Dickinson in 1982 while working full time and planning a wedding, tying the knot with Robert on June 12th, 1982. Shortly thereafter in the search for more space the couple decided to explore new frontiers, moving from the land of Bon Jovi to the untamed wilderness of Higganum, CT, building their forever home on Skunk Misery Road in 1984. She took a job at Aetna, found her church community at All Saints Orthodox Church in Hartford where she was an active parishioner for almost 40 years, and started a family, while still enjoying the occasional Bon Jovi concert.

Marianne took immense pride in her three children and was active in every aspect of their lives, providing support, guidance, and love throughout. She consistently put her hobbies & interests behind those of her family, always encouraging them to try every athletic, artistic, travel, and club opportunity, which led to her taking on roles like tee-ball coach, softball coach and Girl Scouts troop leader. On top of working a full-time job and raising a family, Marianne volunteered her time at numerous local organizations including the Haddam Junior Women's Club, the Burr Elementary & HK Middle School PTO's, the Haddam Boy Scouts, and the Xavier High School & Mercy High School Home & School Associations where she chaired various fundraising and social events like the Mercy and Xavier auctions and safe grad.

The holidays were Marianne's super bowl – some suspect the real reason they moved to CT was so she could store the endless amount of Christmas decorations and ornaments she used to adorn the 12+ foot tree she would put up each year. The consummate hostess, she excelled at hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas and since 1987 threw an annual Christmas party generating countless stories and memories that will live on with all who attended. She shined in the kitchen, baking thousands of Christmas cookies each year which she proudly shared with family, friends and neighbors.

Marianne was an avid sports fan, faithfully rooting for the UConn Huskies, Army Football, US Curling, Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees, the latter two fandoms which she was unable to fully pass onto her children, despite her best efforts during their formative years.

She retired after 34 years working at Aetna in Middletown & Hartford in various accounting and financial control roles. The work she did was secondary - like everything she was involved in she established decades long friendships maintained to this day through dinners and happy hours, activities and connections she truly cherished.

After retiring, Marianne inexplicably became busier, using the newly available free time she had to volunteer at the Bushnell, Travelers Championship, Chrysalis Center, Loaves & Fishes Ministries, Middlesex Health Hospice, and St. Vincent de Paul Middletown, while even squeezing in some time to relax by kayaking, walks and bike rides along the Connecticut shoreline or floating in the pool with a book and the occasional afternoon drink. She also took time to travel as much as possible, with multiple trips to Europe, Hawaii, and road trips throughout Canada and the US, including visits to over 30 national parks. She greatly looked forward to annual months-long trips to Manasota Key, FL where she could fully relax and honed her conch shell blowing skills at daily sunset gatherings. Her more recent role of grandmother gave her an endless amount of joy and allowed her to test the storage limits of her son & daughter-in laws apartment by showering her grandson with countless clothes, books, and toys.

To say she will be missed greatly understates the effect she had on us all. She was our rock, our confidant, who despite being active in every conceivable civic, religious, athletic and educational organization available was still there for every moment in our lives, big and small. She always fought for us, right up until her last moments, facing several health issues with incredible strength and perseverance that we will carry with us forever. Marianne will be remembered as an intelligent, loving, and considerate person, always wanting to help others, and always putting others concerns before her own. There is zero doubt that she lived life to its fullest potential.

Marianne was preceded in death by her parents Walter and Mary. She is survived and missed by her dedicated husband of 40 years, Robert, children Ryan & wife Jacklyn of Hoboken, NJ, Kyle of Higganum, CT, Erin & fiancé David Boscarino of Clinton, MA, brother Michael Schack of Kingston, NY, her precious grandson Aiden (A-man) and grandpup Pico.

In her memory, the family requests that donations be made in Marianne's memory to the Chrysalis Center (https://chrysaliscenterct.org/), Loaves & Fishes Ministries (http://www.loavesfishesministries.org/) or All Saints Orthodox Church of Hartford (https://allsaintshartford.org/).

Special thanks are due to the amazing nurses and staff at Hartford Hospital ICU, who made sure Marianne was comfortable during her move from this world to the next.

Visitation hours are Thursday, January 12th from 4-8 PM at the D'Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Blvd, Wethersfield, CT 06109. There will be a Parastas at 7 PM. Funeral Service will be Friday, January 13th, starting 10:30 AM at All Saints Orthodox Church, 205 Scarborough St, Hartford, CT 06105. Everyone is asked to go directly to church Friday morning. Following the service, she will be brought to her final resting place at All Saints Cemetery, 700 Middletown Ave, North Haven, CT 06473. For on-line expressions of sympathy to the family please visit, www.desopofuneralchapel.com.