Doris Marinaccio, 66, passed away surrounded by her loving family and the warm and wonderful staff at the Meridian Health and Rehabilitation Center in Shrewsbury.
Born in Montréal, she emigrated with her mother and father to the United States, where she settled in Summit in 1954. Doris was a Renaissance woman who lived off the grid in upstate New York, opened a craft store and moved back to Long Branch to raise her daughter Ashley as a single parent. A world class mother, some of her parenting highlights included trekking all over the east coast for dance competitions, summers at Tradewinds beach club, family barbecues, attending her daughter’s theatre productions and encouraging her through her master’s and Ph.D. programs. She loved Jesus, The Rolling Stones, celebrity gossip and CNN (particularly Anderson Cooper). She cared deeply about human rights issues, the state of the world and made sure to vote in every single local and national election.
Doris was paraplegic for the last 20 years. She is a breast cancer survivor. While she does not want to be remembered solely for disability or her health problems, it’s important to recognize that despite serious setbacks, she lived, laughed and loved life to its fullest. She would want anyone reading this to do the same. She lived independently, with the help of visiting nurses and aides (Mary O’Neil, Miranda Peart, Maria Vaz and many others…) until her hospitalization in November 2018. She was proud of her independence, her immaculately clean apartment and would berate anyone who did not take off their “dirty shoes” before entering her space. Her favorite sound was that of the vacuum cleaner and, despite being bedbound in her room, she would know immediately if you missed a spot in the kitchen.
She is survived by her siblings, Louise O’Malle and Robert Platzer; doting in-laws who were also her best friends, Kevin O’Malley, Nancy Platzer and Michelle Platzer; nieces and nephews, Cody O’Malley, Clifton O’Malley, Nicole Platzer (her goddaughter), Robert Platzer Jr., Ryan Platzer, Krystle Platzer, Emerald Platzer and Jade Platzer; and of course her beloved daughter Ashley Marinaccio. She was loved by her family, friends (particularly her childhood friend Janet Essig who visited her weekly) and her home health aides and nurses who had worked with her for 20 years.
Rest assured that Doris is dancing in heaven with her mother Ruth Platzer, brother Freddy Platzer, and many others who have gone before her. Doris leaves this life with only one regret, that each year somebody would steal her personal invite to the Met Gala out of her mailbox…
Doris’s celebration of life and service were held Feb. 15 at the Thompson Memorial Home, Red Bank.
