Obituary for Ridgefield residents Anita I. Barz and Theresa J. Barz, Service on Saturday at St. Mary Church

Sisters, Anita I. Barz and Theresa J. Barz, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, died last year. Anita died on February 17, 2022, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Theresa died on December 21, 2022, after a long illness. Both sisters were trailblazers in their own right.

Anita served as a Commissioned Officer of the U.S. Army Reserves from 1975-1978. She earned her baccalaureate from Fordham University, and her master's and doctoral degrees from St. John’s University. Anita had a varied and successful career. She was a 4^th grade teacher (Brooklyn, NY), a preschool teacher (Woodhaven, NY), and a professor and Assistant Dean at St. John’s University. Anita was an office ergonomic design consultant. She had a long career in corporate America beginning in 1976, at a time when it was not common for women to serve in officer and department head positions.

Anita held various Human Resources positions, including officer, director, manager, and department head for entities such as Zurich-American Insurance Company (Chicago, IL), Honeywell Corporation (Atlanta, GA), Veda Corporation (Arlington, VA), State of Connecticut Judicial Department (Hartford, CT), Contractors’ Register (Jefferson Valley, NY), John E. Andrus Memorial/Beth Abraham Health Services (Hastings, NY), DOCS / Beth Israel Medical Center (Valhalla, NY), and Visiting Nurse Services of Westchester (White Plains, NY). She retired in 2012, but she kept busy. Anita was a member of the Ridgefield Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and volunteered for the Ridgefield Visiting Nurses Association (now RVNAHealth). She loved her golden retrievers, floral design, needlepoint, and gardening.

Theresa earned her baccalaureate and master's degrees in Mathematics from St. John’s University, a master's in Computer Science from the New York Institute of Technology and her doctoral degree from Columbia University. Theresa started her career as a professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at St. John’s University in 1963, a time when there were few women in academia, let alone Mathematics and Computer Science. She served on the St. John’s Curriculum Committee, having served from time to time as the Chair. Theresa was beloved by her students, many of whom wrote to her to express gratitude for the positive impact she had on their lives while teaching. She retired in 2010, and was conferred with the title of Professor Emerita in 2012 for her outstanding service to St. John’s. Theresa also served on the Greater Metropolitan New York Math Fair Committee, having served as Chair, and the Board of Governors of the Mathematical Association of America. She loved reading, puzzles, ciphers, and collecting stamps and coins. In her retirement years, Theresa collected miniature colonial houses and related items and curated some very impressive villages in her home.

Anita and Theresa were the only children of Peter M. Barzilaski, Jr., of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, and Theresa H. née Krusinskas, of Naugatuck, Connecticut, who both predeceased them. Anita and Theresa grew up in Queens, NY, and eventually settled into retirement, sharing a home in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Thank you to the entire staff of Hancock Hall in Danbury, for their professionalism, love, and care of Anita. Special thanks to Marilyn, Pamela, and Nurse Riki.

Thank you to Joan Garbow, MaryEllen Dimyan, Cathleen Hazlehurst, and the entire staff and volunteers at Regional Hospice in Danbury, for their compassionate, loving, and tireless care of Theresa.

There will be a mass celebrating Anita’s and Theresa’s lives at 10:00 am on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at St. Mary’s Church, 55 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield, Connecticut. In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations in Anita’s name to RVNAHealth and/or in Theresa’s name to Regional Hospice.