Obituary of Marianne Hadzimichalis

Marianne Hadzimichalis (Smigelski)
1/12/60 – 4/29/26

Marianne Hadzimichalis, beloved mother, sister, friend, and lover of talking animal
movies, 66 of Harmony Twp., NJ, passed away April 29, 2026. She was born in Plainfield, NJ in
1960 to Dorothy and Andrew Smigelski, alongside her four siblings, Andy, Dianne, Luanne, and
Jerry. Marianne, a graduate of Piscataway High School, dedicated 30 years to being an office
manager, with the last 20 years of her career as the Conference Dining Coordinator for Flik
International/Aramark.

Many may not know it by looking at her, but Marianne was a brave and generous
individual who was affected by a rare genetic disorder called von Hippel-Lindau (VHL), in which
individuals are at risk for the development of tumors in a number of organs including the
kidneys, pancreas, brain, and spine. Since the beginning of her VHL diagnosis in 1990,
Marianne allowed doctors and researchers at the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the
National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, MD to study her. Due to her and others’
participation in these studies, a breakthrough was made in the ability to identify the gene
responsible for VHL and the common form of clear cell kidney cancer, which led to the future
clinical trials and eventual identification of an FDA-approved drug now widely available to treat
both diseases. She was also one of the first patients to be part of cochlear implant research for
those with VHL which led to the development of MRI-compatible implants by having removable
magnets available (a necessity for patients who need repeated MRIs, such as those with VHL).
Marianne’s willingness to work with the talented and caring teams at NIH and NCI, including
doctors like Dr. Marston Linehan, has benefited tens of thousands of people worldwide.
Despite having to live with such an invasive disease, Marianne never let it get in the way
of supporting her family.

She was a devoted mother to her children, son Bret Hadzimichalis &
wife Mary Hadzimichalis of Chestertown MD., daughter Caitlin Hadzimichalis and fiancé Kasey
Chambers of Kingston, PA, and son Daniel Hadzimichalis of Easton, PA. Her family will never
forget the magic she brought to the holidays, the laugh until you cry game nights, the endless
love language of having your favorite food on hand at a moment’s notice, or the quiet yet
powerful ways she found to make each feel truly seen. More recently, Marianne has loved
having her sister Dianne by her side. They spent time together admiring nature, befriending
(and naming) all the wild animals in the neighborhood, cherishing their days being lovingly
bullied by their cats Johnson and Puma Thurman, and making up for lost time in day-to-day life.
Marianne was preceded in death by her husband Bruce Hadzimichalis, mother and
father Dorothy Smigelski (Pasternak) & Andrew Smigelski, brother Jerry (Gerard) Smigelski,
and sister Luanne Gaffney (Smigelski). Aside from her children and sister Dianne, Marianne is
survived by her brother Andy Smigelski, brother-in-law Donald Gaffney, as well as mother-in-law
Katherine Hadzimichalis and family, including all of her nieces and nephews of whom she
valued spending time with on vacations and holidays.

Viewing hours will take place at MacFadden Funeral Home, 325 Hardwick St,
Belvidere, NJ 07823 on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. Funeral Services will be held, Wednesday,
May 6, 2026 at 11:00AM at MacFadden Funeral Home. Internment will follow at Belvidere Cemetery.