Mike’s Story
Mike Spitzer was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1942. Once he graduated from high school he studied electrical engineering at Wagner College and then enrolled in the College of Dentistry at NYU. Upon graduation he enlisted in the US Navy and served both active duty and in the reserves for 6 years in Norfolk, Virginia. He landed back in New York, in a sleepy little town in Dutchess County right on the banks of the Hudson River to start his own private dental practice. The first employee he hired was a 19 year old local girl named Ann who was fresh out of graduation from dental assisting school. They would eventually marry and become longtime residents of Rhinebeck, New York. They ran the practice for the next 43 years serving thousands of patients during that time.
Mike retired in 2018 and found more time to play golf and spend with friends and family. He loved driving his convertible sports car while listening to Jimmy Buffet either in the hills of upstate New York or his second love, the coastal towns of North Carolina. Retirement was everything he wanted it to be until one Fall day in 2022. He was playing his weekly round of golf when he could not figure out how to remove a club from his golf bag. He went to see his doctor shortly thereafter. An MRI showed a GBM on his right temporal lobe, which was inoperable. After 14 rounds of chemotherapy and radiation at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, his tumor shrank to a point where it could not be seen on an MRI any longer. Although the it slowed him down, it did not stop him from being active. He was adamant about his physical therapy, and take walks to strengthen his core and regain balance.
In late 2024, he noticed his speech would slur every so often. A new MRI revealed not one, but two tumors had developed. One was operable and he chose to have it removed as well as partake in an experimental study to use an implantable ultrasound device to open the blood-brain barrier to allow chemotherapy to better reach the target site. Unfortunately, after a few moths of treatment, his tumors showed growth and the decision was made to suspend treatments.
At the urging of his daughter and son-in-law, he move to North Carolina so that he could be cared for 24 hours a day. The surgery left him nearly paralyzed on his left side. He was the recipient of a transport device from Glio Leo which made life so much easier. Because of this device, he was easily transported to the patio outside to enjoy the potted flowers and warm sunshine. He would spend hours reading his books or researching various topics on his iPad, always with his favorite hound dog, Steve, by his side.
Mike’s courageous battle concluded on July 11th, 2025 in Mooresville, NC. He was surrounded by his family in a room decorated with various items that were important to him throughout his life, most notably, his Navy uniform. Mike will be remembered as loving husband to Ann, an irreplaceable “Pop” to his daughter, and “Poppy” to his granddaughter. He always looked forward to another home project with his son-in-law, and then a well deserved gin and tonic afterwards.
Before Mike passed, he had personally designed this logo to help spread awareness and help others with their cancer journey. Mike liked to say, “We are all in this thing called life together!” May we honor him by living that truth each day.
