Mataczynski remembered as a ‘fighter’ with ‘unrelenting spirit’

WARREN — A strong voice is being remembered by those who knew her as a ‘fighter’ who was dedicated to her family and community.

According to her obituary, Mary Mataczynski, a well-known resident and community advocate, died Feb. 2. She was 72.

Former City Councilman Garry Watts said he met Mataczynski at City Council meetings and city functions before he ran for office.

“We kind of became buddies after that,” he said.

Watts described Mataczynski as a caring person who always had kind words at tough times.

“We had a bad year, this last year … and I have to tell you, Mary was one of the first ones right there. ‘What can we do for you? What can we do to help?’ She’s just super,” he said.

The same sentiment was echoed by her friend, Susan Smiley, who met her at a Warren City Council meeting.

“She was that person that, if you needed help, you could count on her to help, whether it was her doing it personally or putting you in touch with somebody that could handle whatever it was that you needed,” she said.

Smiley remembered how Mataczynski would leave her gifts, saying she was a good listener.

“I don’t know how many times I would go out on my porch and there’d be some little item, little gift that she had left based on a conversation that we had had,” she said.

In particular, Smiley — an avid sewer, a passion shared between the two friends — said she couldn’t find a certain kind of fabric she needed for a pillow.

“I had told her one day, I’m having a hard time finding velour fabric that I need for this pillow and so on and so forth,” she said. “And the next day, lo and behold, on my porch was a bag with three pieces of fabric from Mary.”

Beyond Mataczynski’s dedication to her family and her neighbors, she was also a volunteer for the Susan G. Komen of Southeast Michigan’s Race for the Cure, Smiley said.

Both Watts and Smiley remembered Mataczynski for her determination, citing an instance when she came to City Council repeatedly to get a barricade removed from a street in her condo association.

“She was a fighter,” Watts said. “There’s no question about it.”

In a statement posted on his Facebook page, former Mayor Jim Fouts said Mataczynski led a life “filled with helping others and fighting for the rights of those who were in need.”

“Mary often multitasked by helping out family and friends alike,” he said. “She had passion and an unrelenting spirit to help those in need.”

Call Staff Writer Brian Wells at (248) 291-7637.