Michelle Weitz, 69, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully on April 26, 2024 with family lovingly by her side.
Michelle was born on August 29, 1954 to Richard and Joyce McGowty in Schenectady, New York. She graduated from Mohonasen High School, where she met the love of her life and husband of 47 years, Ron. Michelle and Ron attended the State University of New York at Albany, where she earned her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in French Education. She was fluent in both Spanish and French (and as anyone who has ever received one of her beautifully handwritten notes will attest, she was quite a master of the English language, too!).
Michelle and Ron were married in August 1976 and lived in Chicago for four years before settling in Dallas in 1980 for nearly 30 years, during which time they welcomed and raised two daughters, Courtney and Brooke.
Michelle was an officer at First City Bank in Dallas and a faithful volunteer for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). She turned her love of baking into a wholesale and retail business, Cordially Yours, that she owned and operated for nearly a decade. After their time in Dallas, Ron and Michelle moved back to Chicago where Michelle was an active member of the Benevolent Guild at Fourth Presbyterian Church. In 2018, Michelle and Ron retired to Ponte Vedra Beach, where Michelle served as President of the Plantation Garden Club.
Michelle was an endlessly devoted wife, mother, daughter and friend. To know Michelle was to love her; she was the epitome of warmth, grace and elegance. With each move to a new city, she demonstrated an incredible ability to build community and form genuine, lasting friendships – no doubt a result of her extraordinary thoughtfulness and uniquely caring nature. Her family often said about her that “she bloomed where she was planted.” She relished every opportunity to welcome family and friends into her home, and her love of cooking and baking meant nobody ever went hungry when she was around. She enjoyed traveling the world (often with oversized baggage in tow), including recent trips with Ron to Australia, Thailand, China and Western Europe.
Michelle is survived by her loving husband, Ron; her two daughters, Courtney (Nick) and Brooke (Patrick); her doting mother, Joyce; her brother, Scott (Joanne) and niece, Abby. She was treasured by the two granddaughters she so adored, Hadley (7) and Lily (3.5), and will forever be their beloved “Mimi.” Michelle was preceded in death by her father, Richard.
A private family interment is planned for May 1, 2024 and a celebration of life will follow in early summer with details to be provided. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Michelle’s memory to the Mayo Clinic Center for Breast Health (https://philanthropy.mayoclinic.org/donateMC) or to Community Hospice & Palliative Care (https://thefoundationcares.org/give/).
