Marie Spadaccino

Hi my name is Arlene. I’m writing to

support and raise funds for Marie Spadaccino, a very dear family friend. Marie has been my Mom’s best friend since they were young teens making her an unofficial aunt and extended family member. Sadly, on January 29,2023 Marie became a widow after 43 years of marriage to her husband, partner & love Bob Spadaccino.

Unfortunately, her loss is compounded, as she is left without enough money for a funeral service, the family had to forgo this tradition to save money for upcoming bills. Now Marie is a grieving widow, alone in extreme financial need with a huge burden due to the medical crisis and strains brought upon this family through the years. Marie’s husband Bob fought a valiant fight with pancreatic cancer that required an 11 - hour Whipple procedure surgery, the cancer then spread to the liver bile ducts and bone as well. This seems like enough suffering for one lifetime but it was only a part of the tremendous loss and suffering this family endured.

Marie’s husband Bob was an incredible person, a loving father of two of his own and he took the role seamlessly with open arms as a devoted stepfather and then Poppy to Marie’s kids and grandkids which he loved and cared for as his own. On December 23, 1997, Marie lost her son Robbie at 26 years of age to leukemia, as we know nothing can be worse for a parent, the anguish of heartache is unbearable. The medical bills brought much financial strain to the family making them declare bankruptcy twice the second time when Bob stopped working due to his cancer, their insurance did not cover the needs and through the years just trying to catch up proved impossible. Through the years Marie & Bob were always there for their kids and grandkids, having custody and the responsibility of raising their granddaughter Cameron. Cameron was a beautiful young woman, a college graduate living in NYC with a promising future tragically she was taken too soon, as she suffered a horrific fatal accident on May 22, 2021, this was a traumatic shock and another unbearable loss for Marie and her family.

To say life has not been fair is an understatement. Marie is in great need of financial help, and her hardship is beginning yet again, she’s a 78-year- old woman with Emphysema on oxygen 24 hours a day with no income and unable to go back into the workforce, she is desperate for help to have bare minimums met for basic needs, but of most importance are bills to be paid to keep a roof over her head and hopefully not lose her home, as she is left without her husband's pension, something Bob felt terrible about but they needed his pension for their shared life together. My hope is that Marie will be comforted by the generosity and compassion of others at this very emotional beginning of the grieving process while relieving her of some financial burdens.

Thank you~