OBITUARY: Mae Lucy Piszczek, 94, Passed Away Jan. 29; Lived in the Same Melbourne Village Home for 66 Years

Worked for RCA Service Company as a Technical Illustrator at Patrick Air Force Base in the 1950s

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — Mae Lucy Piszczek, 94, of Melbourne Village, Florida, passed away on January 29, 2023.

She is preceded by her parents, Archibald William and Hetty Catherine Stentiford; brothers Archibald and David Stentiford; her husband, John Valentine Piszczek; daughters, Tanya Albert and Christine Monroe.

Mae is survived by Mark Piszczek and Vanessa Blakeslee, Ann (Charlie) Nabers, Valerie Piszczek, Stewart Albert, Malcolm Monroe, and 22 grandchildren.

Mae was born in Brooklyn, New York, and moved to Attleboro, Massachusetts, in 1937 with her family.

She graduated from Attleboro High School in 1947 and was active in many school activities and lettered in girl’s basketball, a sport of which she remained a lifelong fan. During World War II, she was a member of the Massachusetts Civil Air Patrol, trained to keep her eyes on the sky and identify any enemy aircraft that might invade U.S. airspace.

She studied art and drafting at the Rhode Island School of Design. Later, she was employed as a draftsperson by both the Swank Jewelry Company and The Foxboro Company.

In the early 1950s, as the U.S. Space Program was growing, Mae accepted a job offer from the RCA Service Company as a Technical Illustrator at Patrick Air Force Base. She then relocated to a rather undeveloped Brevard County, where she met her soon-to-be husband of over 60 years, John (Jack) Piszczek.

In 1957 they moved to Melbourne Village, where they raised five children and remained in the same home for 66 years. After retiring from RCA, Mae worked for the Brevard County Summer Fine Arts Program, teaching stagecraft to high school students during the 80s and 90s.

Mae not only enthusiastically supported her own children’s endeavors in art and music, but she also served as a Melbourne High School band parent and chaperone for almost ten years, where she gave love, support, and inspiration to a generation of music students.

Mae was adventurous and loved to organize family camping trips around the state.

She and Jack loved sailing the Indian River and canoeing Florida’s many wild waterways. They also spent a week primitive camping on a tiny island off the coast of Belize. She and Jack traveled abroad to Europe, narrow boating in England and touring the wine country in France.

Mae’s outgoing and creative qualities kept her involved in the community.

She was active in the Indian River Players (now MCT) and worked for years in front of and behind the curtain, designing and building sets for countless productions. She also chaired fundraising activities to support the theatre through the Theater’s Guild.

She loved the arts of all kinds and was a lifelong supporter of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra and Melbourne Civic Theatre.

Mae believed that in order for the arts to thrive in our community, we should not only financially support local arts organizations but participate in their activities as well.

The family wishes to thank the beloved caregivers at Ginny’s Place in Viera. Their loving care for Mae was beyond measure.

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