Anne Katz and her husband Mel Katz (Courtesy of the Katz family)
Ellen Braunstein
Anne Katz, a devoted mother, grandmother, sister and friend, died on Nov. 3 at age 78. A lifelong Philadelphian, she was known for her warmth, humor and devotion to family — and for the simple kindness she extended to everyone around her.
“She was just an all-around good-hearted person,” said her son, Steven Katz. “She was reliable, trustworthy and loving — always doing for others.”
Born on June 22, 1947, in Northeast Philadelphia, Anne grew up in a close-knit Jewish household where community and compassion were daily lessons. She attended Solomon Solis-Cohen Elementary School and Northeast High School, graduating in 1965. Her father ran a variety of small businesses before working as an insurance salesman for Prudential, while her mother, Sylvia, was a homemaker who filled the home with warmth and Jewish tradition. Katz shared a special bond with her younger brother, Arthur (Art) Shumsky, that lasted throughout their lives.
As a teenager, Anne was active in United Synagogue Youth, where she developed a love of Jewish life and community involvement. “That’s what inspired me to join USY, too,” said her daughter, Andrea Keck. “She always spoke about how much those years meant to her.”
Katz met her future husband, Melvin (Mel) Katz, at a friend’s wedding, and the two quickly became inseparable. They married in 1969 and built a warm, joyful home together in Northeast Philadelphia, raising Andrea and Steven with a shared sense of humor and deep affection. “They were married 42 years, and they were truly a team,” Keck said.
For many years, Katz devoted herself to her family as a full-time mother. Once her children were in school, she worked part-time at Caplan’s children’s clothing store at Roosevelt Mall, a job she enjoyed for the social connections as much as the work itself. Later, she found her calling as an office manager in several dental and periodontal practices. “She really loved working in dentistry,” Keck said. “She liked helping people and being part of a team that made others feel better.”
Katz also gave her time as a volunteer with the Deborah Heart & Lung Center, inspired by her lifelong compassion for others and her belief in service.
Her life was full of creative expression and joy. During the 1980s and ’90s, she performed in community musical theater, singing and acting with a confidence that delighted friends and family. “She had a beautiful voice,” Keck said. “She loved being on stage — it made her so happy.”
A lifelong animal lover, Katz’s affection for creatures of all kinds became one of her defining traits. As a girl, she was known for bringing home stray cats, geese and even a baby alligator once gifted by her father on a trip to Florida. As an adult, she kept dogs and parakeets. “She never smoked a day in her life,” Keck said, “but she was allergic to the bird dander from her parakeets. Even after the doctors told her to give them up, she missed them so much she eventually got birds again. That’s how much she loved animals.”
Katz was happiest when surrounded by her family — especially her three grandchildren, Justin, Julia and Mason. “She called them her heartbeat,” Andrea said. “She quit her job when I had my first child so she could come to my house every single day to take care of the baby. She’d drive half an hour each way and stay all day, playing on the floor, feeding, changing, doing everything. Nobody loves your child like your mother — that’s what she taught me.”
Even after her husband died in 2012, Anne remained active and independent. She shared with her son a love of sports, often calling him to talk about the Phillies. “She was funny and fun to be around,” he said. “She loved talking baseball and just staying connected.”
Anne Katz lived her life guided by Jewish values of kindness and family. Though she never had the chance to visit Israel, it was a lifelong dream. “She had a ticket to go visit her longtime friend Renee, who moved there years ago,” Steven said. “She’d waited her whole life for that trip. But then she got sick and couldn’t go.”
Anne battled pulmonary fibrosis for several years, a condition that worsened over time despite her resilience and optimism. She spent her final two years at Masonic Village in Lafayette Hill, surrounded by family.
Her children remember her as the heart of the family — a woman who gave everything she had to the people she loved. “She always put others first,” Keck said. “Her grandchildren were her world, and her love for them never wavered. That’s what we’ll remember most.”