Sister Theresa Ann Spitz, RSM, 89, died May 16 at Mercy Hallmar in Cedar Rapids, after a brief illness. Theresa Ann Spitz was born June 15, 1930, in Orchard, Iowa, the daughter of Frank and Bertha (Roth) Spitz. She attended the Cedar Rapids Mercy Community in 1948 and earned a B.A. degree in English and a minor in education from Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids.
For 44 years her ministry focused on teaching in these schools in Iowa: St. Wenceslaus, Cedar Rapids; Sacred Heart, Waterloo; Sacred Heart, Oelwein; St. Patrick, Fairfax; St. Joseph, Marion; St. Patrick, Garryowen; St. Joseph, DeWitt; and in Montana at St. Matthew in Kalispell. In 1995 at DeWitt, sister transitioned into pastoral ministry on a part-time basis until it became her full-time ministry. Sister Spitz supported generations of families until her retirement in 2012. Upon moving back to Cedar Rapids, she was a faithful volunteer at Sacred Heart Convent.
In retirement, she enjoyed visiting the homebound and residents at care centers and loved gardening, especially growing plants to beautify the Sacred Heart campus. Sister enjoyed playing cards and demonstrated expertise when playing trivia games. Sister Spitz was a vowed member of the Mercy Community for 71 years.
A private service was held May 21 with burial following at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Cedar Rapids. A memorial service will be celebrated at a later date. Memorials may be sent to the Sisters of Mercy at 1125 Prairie Dr. NE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402.