Mary Joan Schatz

MADISON-Mary Joan Hanafin Schatz, age 78, of Madison died peacefully on Monday, Aug. 12, 2013, in the presence of her loving husband, daughter and friends, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Mary was born in Oak Park, Ill., on May 29, 1935, the daughter of Joseph D. and Margaret M. Hanafin, and grew up in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago. She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Jane; and daughter, Kathleen. After graduating from the University of Illinois in Champaign, with a degree in Political Science and History, she married Steven Schatz, an architecture student from Wisconsin who also went to the university. They eventually had four children, and after living in Champaign for several years, the family moved first to Milwaukee and then to Madison in 1968. Their youngest child, Susan was born deaf, and the family moved to Madison to take advantage of the deaf education program in Madison Public Schools. Mary was tirelessly devoted to Susan’s education, and spent hours each night teaching her language and literacy. Mary often lobbied for her daughter’s education with the school system and was very active in the Madison Association for the Education of the Deaf. After her children got older, Mary worked as an Administrative Assistant for syndicated political columnist John Wyngaard and then for several years at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center in Madison. She loved working with the researchers and was admired for her hard work and support for other staff members there. Mary had a love for many things including arts, reading books, traveling, and history. Her favorite place to visit was the small gold rush town of Downieville, Calif. in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where her mother had grown up. When Mary was a young girl, she asked her paternal grandmother to send her all the information she could remember about her family’s history. This began a life-long fascination with genealogy. Mary and her husband would often make trips east to visit their children, and they’d stop along the way to attend genealogy conferences or look for the records of her ancestors in places like upstate New York, Pennsylvania and Western Connecticut. She loved to tell stories of some of her ancestors, like father and son, Samuel Dunham Sr. and Jr., the elder who sided with the British and the younger who fought with George Washington’s army during the Revolution. Mary also volunteered at the Wisconsin Historical Society so that she could help others research their family histories. Mary was a strong women’s rights advocate and she joined a couple women’s rights marches in Washington D.C. accompanied by her daughters. Her love for politics lead to frequent discussions about political issues and she volunteered for several political campaigns. Mary was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother who selflessly gave all her time and energy to her family. She cooked meals for her family every night, and after her children had moved away, she’d often send them packages of home baked cookies. She skillfully played the piano, and would serenade her children to sleep with music from Chopin and other favorites. She also loved to sew and knit, tend her vegetable garden, play with her cats, take watercolor painting and drawing classes, and spend time with her two grandchildren. But most of all, we’ll never forget her wonderful sense of humor, her beautiful blue eyes, and her radiant smile that always made everyone she met feel so good. She is survived by her husband, Steven Schatz of Madison; daughter, Susan Schatz of Washington D.C.; son, Mark Schatz of Boston; son, David (Patty) Schatz of Ann Arbor Mich.; granddaughter, Sierra Schatz; and grandson, Brendan Schatz. Please join us for a Celebration of Mary’s Life at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Drive, Madison, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug.18, 2013. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Alzheimer’s Association: (www.alz.org/) or the Alzheimer’s & Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin (www.alzwisc.org). We’d like to thank Christina Rose, Agrace Hospice and staff at Oak Park Place for the special loving care they provided. Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608) 221-5420