Obituary

Obituary of Ms. Marie Antoinette Wirtzfeld

August 26, 2021

Marie Antoinette Wirtzfeld, 93, of New York, NY died Thursday, August 26th at Calvary Hospital in Brooklyn, her niece Carla by her side.

Marie was born on May 9th, 1928 to Michael Wirtzfeld and Beatrice (Searle) Wirtzfeld. The fifth of seven children, Marie split her time growing up in Washington between Seattle, Whidbey Island, and Anacortes. In Seattle, Marie attended school at the Laurelhurst campus of Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (now known as Villa Academy). Her favorite subject was math. After following her sister Margaret to New York City in 1945, Marie worked while continuing her education at Hunter College. She tried everything from modeling hats and furs to interning for a 'young women in science' program, a precursor to today's programs encouraging diversity in STEM. She received her bachelor's degree in history and geology from Hunter College in 1953.

Marie then embarked on a career in records management and management consulting. Her favorite roles were the decade she spent at the American Heart Association and her time in consulting for Thomas Wilds Associates, where she was able to travel the world giving business seminars and running the back office. In the 1960s she also spent six years working in Geneva, Switzerland, where she made lifelong friends but unfortunately, as she would jokingly lament, never learned how to ski.

After retiring from management consulting in the mid-2000s, Marie began her second career in antiques, where she put her knowledge of gemology and geology to work alongside her passion for art history. Marie was an expert in Japanese and Chinese art, gemstones, and marble. Most of her business was in small, polished stone sculptures.

Marie described herself as a person who loved the forest, but she was energized by Manhattan's financial district and Battery Park City, her home base for the last forty years. Marie was delighted to be one of the Gateway Plaza's first residents in 1982, moving in before construction was completed. She was proud to watch her neighborhood grow and develop over time, and she took pleasure in befriending the handsome brokers as they walked their dogs.

When she was not working, Marie loved to travel and visit her friends and relatives all over the country. She enjoyed staying up to date on current events and politics, trying new restaurants and seeing new exhibits. She credited her longevity to making friends with young people.

Marie is survived by her nieces and nephews Carla Sammons, Bruce Morgan and wife Theresa, and Brian Morgan; her sister-in-law Sally Wirtzfeld; her great-nieces Lea Elston and husband Nathan, Lisa Morgan, Lana Morgan, Mary Blackwell, and Miranda Young; her great-nephews Tyler Sammons, Rodney Clement Jr. and William Young; her great-great nieces Taylor Lee Young, Alyssa Young, Hailey Smith, Kira Strite and Penelope Strite; and her great-great nephew Preston Clement. Marie is also survived by many beloved cousins and friends.

Her life will be celebrated with a memorial service at Andrett Funeral Home in New York, NY on September 4th from 12-3 pm. A short committal service will follow on September 11th at 1 pm, at Grandview Cemetery in Anacortes, WA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association.

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