Marie B. Lutz

Marie was the first of 9 children born to Vito and Raffaela Laraia on May 9, 1921, and was raised in Paterson, NJ where she adored her younger siblings and helping her mother care for them.  On July 12, 1941, she wed Francis Lutz and together they welcomed five children.  She worked for a deli in Little Falls before dedicating her life to raising her children.  She moved to Wyckoff in 1965, where she enjoyed gardening, cooking, traveling with her husband, and spending summers with family both in her beautiful yard and down the shore.  She especially cherished her time surrounded by her children and grandchildren. She was an incredibly hard worker who created lengthy methods for cooking, cleaning, and repurposing which she abided by religiously.  A true Italian, she could talk to anyone for hours, and enjoyed wonderful meals... when someone else could cook one properly.  Her golden years were enriched by becoming a member of the Wyckoff Seniors and St. Elizabeth Seniors, and by remaining a member of the Church of the Nativity, Midland Park. 

She joins in eternal rest her husband Francis, sons Ronald and Dennis, brother Tony Laraia, and sisters Filomena Williams, Teresa Friedman, Matilda Daunno, and Lucy Mariano.   
Left to cherish her memory are her sons Frank (Maryann) and Eric, her daughter, Sharon McCloskey (Kevin), her grandchildren, Roxann, Danielle, Dawn, Alison, Rachel, Colleen, Krystal, Christopher, Brianne, and 16 great grandchildren.  She also leaves her loving siblings, Loretta Pullara (John) Rose DeMarco, and brother Larry (Maureen) and many nieces and nephews.  We will look for her in every sunset, the first flowers that bloom each Spring, and the laughter and memories to come while surrounding holiday tables adorned with meals made from her wonderful recipes with gratitude for the 100 years of love, lessons, and memories she left us with.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 20, 2021, from 6pm to 8pm at Vander Plaat Funeral Home, www.vpfh.com, 257 Godwin Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ. A Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, July 21, 2021, at 10am at Church of the Nativity, 315 Prospect Street, Midland Park, NJ. Interment will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Totowa, NJ.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to National Autism Association One Park Avenue, Suite 1, Portsmouth, RI 02871. www.nationalautism.org