Marc Atz

1951 - 2020

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Marc David Atz passed away in his sleep on Friday, April 3, 2020, at Arbor Place Memory Care in Rockville, Maryland, at the age of 68.

Marc leaves behind his loving wife, Babette (Bobbi) Atz; his mother, Susie Atz, of Sioux City, Iowa; three siblings, Doug (and Deedra) Atz, of Kendallville, Indiana, Bart (and Lisa) Atz, of Woodland, California, and Sarah (and Tom) Morgan, of Sioux City, Iowa; a daughter, Lindsay, of Brooklyn Park, Maryland; two stepsons, David (and Tina) Degnan, of Hartsville, Pennsylvania, and Michael (and Elena McAnespie) Degnan, of Richmond, California; and many grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Marc was born on April 8, 1951, in Kendallville, Indiana.

After graduating from East Noble High School in 1969, he obtained a degree from Indiana University in 1974, and then moved to the Washington, D.C., area where he earned his Masters in Public Administration from American University in 1975.

After working for the City of Rockville, Maryland, and Prince William Co. Virginia, Marc joined the private consulting world, first with a firm in northern Virginia, and then by creating his own consulting business. His public service career continued in Montgomery County, Maryland, with posts at OMB, the Department of Transportation, and later the Montgomery County Revenue Authority, where he served as Executive Director until his retirement in 2007.

Marc loved the outdoors, including paddling his kayak on Lake Champlain and hiking in the Adirondack mountains. Marc was also a keen traveler, whether touring Ireland and Scotland, golfing with good friends, or cycling through California wine country, visiting family and friends along the way. Marc's Adirondack home away from home was Westport, New York, where he enjoyed few things more than sitting on the porch with friends and family.

Perhaps Marc's greatest passion was his love for the game of golf, which he learned to play at a young age with his grandfather's sawed-off wooden golf clubs. As director of the Revenue Authority, Marc oversaw all of Montgomery County's public golf courses. During his tenure, he increased the county's number of public golf courses from five to nine. Marc loved golfing with Bobbi, including two memorable rounds at the renowned Pebble Beach Golf Links. His enthusiasm for golf and years of hard work culminated in one of Marc's proudest moments: becoming a certified PGA Professional in 2004. PGA card in hand, Marc had the thrill of watching Tiger Woods win the Masters golf tournament in 2005.

After bravely battling acute myeloid leukemia with chemotherapy and a successful bone marrow transplant in 2010, he developed a degenerative neurological condition which caused aphasia and apraxia, making his final years challenging. Through it all, Marc retained his winning charm and sense of humor, his warm smile for all he met, and bird whistles for his grandchildren. Marc will be missed dearly by many, near and far.

A celebration of Marc's life will be planned at a future date, when it is once again safe for groups to gather. Marc would want nothing more than to know his family and friends were safe and taking care of each other, and whenever possible, extending help to those most vulnerable, through a local homeless shelter or food pantry.