Evelyn Binder Spatz, age 99 years, of Branchburg, NJ, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 18, 2021 at Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Center-Somerset, Somerville, NJ.

Born on July 11, 1922 at home in Newark, NJ, she was the daughter of the late Morris and Dora Shapiro Binder. Raised in Newark, she spent most of her life in Maplewood, NJ prior to moving to Branchburg.

Growing up the daughter of first generation immigrants from Russia allowed Evelyn to appreciate the value of hard work, as well as community. Her parents worked hard to provide for Evelyn, her two sisters, Ruth and Edith, and her brother, Irwin. They did not have much in the way of material possessions, but they always had a hot meal and the house was full of love and compassion.

It was at the age of 16 when Evelyn got her first job at Woolworth’s, working every Saturday, and giving half her earnings to assist her family. Her pleasant disposition and strong work ethic stood out for a woman of her age. In fact, after graduation she was offered full time employment, but politely declined, as she had a dream of working in a big office with lots of people, hoping to make an impact on the world.

This ideal of following your dreams is a hallmark of Evelyn’s story, as is the ideal of resilience. Meeting her future husband, Morris (Moe), the couple would marry in June 1942, just shy of Evelyn’s 20^thbirthday. A few short months after that, Evelyn’s husband was sent overseas with the United States Army. They wrote to each other faithfully all the time, for three years, until he returned after the war.

Evelyn and Moe would be blessed with two children, Howard and Debra. Loving being a mom, fate would have a cruel twist with Moe passing away suddenly in 1969. Finding herself a single mother with two children, Evelyn did not miss a step. She immediately took charge and made a promise to herself and her children that they would be alright.

She found work right away, and eventually became employed by the Federal government with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Working in both Newark, NJ and New York City, NY, Evelyn greatly enjoyed working in the ‘big office’ with ‘lots of people’, as she had dreamed of doing. Her employment with OSHA was proof that following one’s passions will lead to success.

Evelyn also seemed to have a knack for meeting celebrities.  When she was about 20, she met Joe DiMaggio in a luncheonette in downtown Newark, and got an autograph for her brother, Irwin.  Many years later, when working for OSHA in NYC, she saw Barry Manilow on the street, and immediately went up to him to tell him how much she enjoyed his music.  Not shying away from anyone, including famous people, Evelyn exuded a strong confidence in herself throughout her entire life.

Remaining sharp right up until her passing, Evelyn was a wiz at Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Her laughter was infectious and her company pleasant, as you rarely find anyone who remembers what life was like almost a century ago, and has experienced most of the major events of the modern era.

A devout New York Yankees fan, Evelyn was also a wonderful cook, learning from her mother many of the old world recipes that became staples around her holiday table. As were many of her time, she was a voracious reader, enjoying novels of her favorite authors, and of course the sports page of the Star Ledger, so she could keep up with the standings of her Yankees.

Evelyn was an animal lover at heart, with dogs being her favorite.  While it was many years since her beloved Westie, Scotty, had passed, she still talked about him, and missed him to this day.

It will be said of Evelyn Binder Spatz that she was a true survivor in so many ways. In addition to facing the death of her spouse at a young age, Evelyn was lucky that she even lived to meet a partner. At 18 months old, she fell out of a 3-story apartment building. Looking to see a plane flying over, she stood up on a chair, pushed the screen, and fell from the window. Subsequently, she bounced off a clothesline and fell into a pail filled with clean rags.  She literally sat up in it, with her arms up. A true miracle!

It would be many years later that she would encounter another potential life-threatening event, but when she did, it was colon cancer that would try and take her life. With perseverance, good medical care, and a stroke of luck, Evelyn was able to call herself a 23-year colon cancer survivor.  While going through her recovery, she always used to say “We’re all in God’s Hands” and always remained upbeat and positive.

In Evelyn’s high school yearbook from 1940, under her name was a quote that each member of the class picked for themselves. Her quote read “Sincerity, above all the rest, Builds a character that stands the test.” Generous, compassionate, loving, and of course grounded and sincere are but a few words that describe the character of this amazing daughter, sister, wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt and friend to so many. She has completed her journey, making the world a better place through her travels, and now, she is truly, “In God’s Hands”.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her sisters, Ruth and Edith.

Surviving are her son and daughter-in-law, Howard Allen Spatz and his wife Suzanne; her daughter and caregiver, Debra Ellen Spatz; her brother, Irwin Donald Binder, her grandchildren, Eric Spatz and his husband, Edward, Myles Spatz and his wife, Evelyn, and Rebecca Bowen and her husband, Carl; her great grandchildren, Rachel Bowen, and Penelope, Luke and Adrian Spatz; many nieces and nephews; and many friends made during her almost century of traveling God’s pathways.

Life celebration services officiated by Cantor Kathy Gohr will take place on Sunday, November 21, 2021 at 11:30 a.m. in the chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

Everyone is kindly asked to begin to arrive at the funeral home at 11:15 a.m. on Sunday and to follow the parking instructions of the Wright & Ford Care Team Family Ambassadors.

Burial will follow at the Flemington Jewish Community Cemetery, 67 Capner Street, Flemington, NJ 08822 and to which all are welcome.

You are encouraged to visit Evelyn’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of her life.

As is custom in the Jewish faith, no flowers please. Memorial contributions in Evelyn’s honor may be made to St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, via mail to P.O. Box 159, Madison, NJ 07940, or online by clicking HERE.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”