Dear Family of Mr. Scalzi,

I am so sorry for your loss and know you are well aware of what a wonderful amazing man he was.  To me he gave me confidence in myself and talked me into a career I had never even considered—engineering.  I graduated from Mercy over 40 years ago and have had an amazing career because of his suggestions and encouragement. Thank you for sharing him. 

Warm Regards,
Gael Tisack

When I was in the 7th grade at Greenfield Park elementary I .met Tony and we became the best of friends.  Our friendship continued in high school at Pershing where we graduated in 1965.  We kept in touch on Classmates.com all the way until now.  I miss him already and may he RIH till we meet in Eternity.    

Sending love and condolences to all of Mr, Scalzi’s family and loved ones!

I was a decidedly “words and writing” kid who usually dreaded math. But Mr. Scalzi’s calm, playful demeanor helped put me at ease.

He had such a wonderful sense of humor that over two decades later I still remember some of his witticisms. Here are a couple of favorites:

“Now here was have fractions and we have to find the common denominator. Now I personally hate fractions and never want to find the common denominator ever, ever again… so you find the common denominator” (he then went on to solve the problem).

Student: So all we need is two points to graph the line?
Mr. Scalzi: Yes. Well, actually all you need is love, but two points will do.

I’ll always appreciate him and I know countless of his other students will too!

I was so sorry to hear of Mr. Scalzi's passing. I remember his patience and the kindness with which he treated his students, and have fond memories of taking his calculus class. My sincere condolences to his family.

Mr Scalzi was such a kind and patient Algebra teacher. I'm so appreciative of his teachings as he undoubtedly laid my strong foundational knowledge of statistics that carried me through multiple collegiate and graduate school courses. My most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the Scalzi family 💕 
Dana (Robinson) Williamson, MHS '95

I learned of this news while I am in Italy.  It breaks my heart not to express my condolence is person.  To Kate and his entire family, and the Mercy family I hope you know how much your father was loved and the inspiration and mentorship he provided for hundreds of young women.  I'll never forget how he encouraged me as a student. I'll remember the laughs we shared in the gym watching team competitions. I will treasure our conversations comparing my academic record against my three daughters.  He was an "Educator who made a Difference."

Mr. Scalzi was my geometry teacher. Although, geometry was not a favorite of mine he was always there to offer any extra assistance I needed. Very patient and kind man, he will be missed. 

Mr. Scalzi made math fun. He would bring me snacks and share fun stories of his growing up. After high school we kept in touch for a bit, going to lunch and sharing stories. He will be greatly missed. 

Scalzi Family, I’m sorry for you loss.  I remember Mr Scalzi fondly after nearly 20 years.  I was never very good at math but he was a great educator! I attribute finally “getting it” to his patience.  Peace be with you during this time of sorrow. 

Very sorry to learn about Tony’s passing. We carpooled to Mercy from Ann Arbor for almost two years, where I taught French. You get to know someone pretty well when you spend an hour per day with them in small spaces! He called me “Rookie” and made sure my transition was smooth. We had a common background: Europe. Never a dull conversation!
After I left for my master’s in French, ultimately making France my home, Tony kept in touch, via Christmas cards and then Facebook. I will miss his snarky comments, knowing that behind them was a good friend. Godspeed, Tony!

Scalzi, you were more than a teacher to me. I enjoyed chatting with you, stealing your snacks, whining about life, and teasing each other. You were a big part of my high school years and thank you. Thank you for keeping in touch with me and sorry I didn't do the same. Really wish I had sent you that one message when I thought about you. Love you, and you will be missed. Rest in peace Scalzi.     -Hanel-

So sorry to hear of Tony’s passing. We were colleagues in the math department at Mercy for several years. He had a quick wit and always had a smile on his face. I admired his compassion for, and patience with, his students. He truly was an exceptional teacher. 


I was so sad to learn of Mr. Scalzi's passing. He was a kind and wonderful teacher and advisor. I looked forward to my pre-calc every day. My condolences to his Friends and Family.

Sending my love to the family, I’m so grateful to have known Mr. Scalzi through Mercy. He had such an infectious energy, he lit up every room and made every class and interaction a great time. I’ll miss his witty Facebook comments and kind words, I’m sure he’s up there giving the angels a good laugh. 

I was so sad to hear about the passing of Mr. Scalzi. He was my favorite teacher at Mercy! He always knew how to make me laugh. I truly enjoyed his classes and am now a math teacher myself. Sending many prayers to your family! May he Rest in Peace with Jesus, Mary and Joseph. 
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Rochelle Yono-Marougi 
Class of ‘92

Mr. Scalzi was the best math teacher I ever had. He made us feel capable. He showed us kindness. Mr. Scalzi was the rare person who quietly lived his life with a loud impact. In an era where religion is more talk than action, more judgment than love, he was the opposite. Mr. Scalzi truly lived the message he preached: kindness to others, striving to make the world a better place, and empathy for all. Your memory will always be a blessing. Thank you. Thank you.

Tony was a wonderful colleague for so many years. He was very professional and exceptionally dedicated to his students. A popular teacher of a not always popular subject, the students like me, enjoyed his droll humor. My heart goes out to his family.

Mr. Scalzi was the best teacher, and as others have said, a wonderful human. Our senior class of 1982 was the first Calculus class at Mercy, and of course Mr. Scalzi volunteered to teach us. One day in class, we suggested we go study the topic of volume by slicing on stacks of pancakes at a nearby Bob Evans. And lo and behold, he arranged it! He was an absolutely instrumental part of my education and career path back in a time when not too many women were encouraged to pursue technical careers. Katie and Emily - he was so, so proud of you. Sending love and prayers to all.

I am so grateful to count Mr Scalzi among the great teachers I had. While I didn’t love math, I adored Mr Scalzi. Geometry was my favorite math class and it’s all due to him. He was unfailingly supportive with a sly sense of humor, and above all, he was so kind. You could feel his kindness like a hug. The world is a better place because he was in it, and he will be missed. My deep condolences to his loved ones. 

I had Mr. Scalzi for physics and he was so sweet. I remember him saying he dreamed of being a pilot but couldn’t because of his color blindness. Now he’s flying high with the angels <3 

Mr. Scalzi was one of the kindest souls I’ve ever met. While I never had him as my math teacher at mercy, he was always warm and welcoming and at all the sporting events he could get to. It was always a joy to see his face. He will truly be missed by the Mercy community. Sending love and condolences to Kate and the whole Scalzi family 

I never had Mr. Scalzi's math class, but I so remember him roaming the halls from 1982 - 1985, and my friends were in his class.

So, here's a glass to Mr. Scalzi  🍻🍸🍹, many of them — and the thousands of us (undoubtedly) who can do math because of him.

An unrequited love, I know, teaching is. But thanks Mr. Scalzi. I still hear the moans and groans of my comrades trying to complete your assignments in the halls and library.

You never know how much it matters, then, but someone who cares and expects the best of you in your formative years makes all the difference — for the rest of your life.

Thanks Mr. Scalzi.

This photos is from May 1982 - Senior Calculus class on the last day of school. Back then having Calculus taught at a High School was exceptional.  This group felt more like a family than a class.  Mr. Scalzi helped me fall in love with mathematics and set me on a course to become an engineer.  I always told him it was "his fault."  I truly loved him and send deepest condolences to his extended family.

I was in his Algebra 2/Trig class his first year teaching at Mercy.  I remember him coming in and writing his name on the board,  and trying to establish himself as a teacher who would not be messed with. Poor Tony. We messed with him and teased him a lot. But he could give as good as he could take! I called him "Tony Baby" right from the start, as much as it exasperated him. If you find an old lacey garter in his drawer, that.might be from me. I bought it at Ferrell's ice cream parlor and gave it to him as a joke. I know he still had it long after I graduated,  as he pulled it out of his desk drawer when I visited him once. Thanks for the tutoring,  the jokes, the recipes,  and being the only good math teacher I ever had. I'll miss you, Tony, Baby.

I'm so sorry for your loss.  Mr. Scalzi (Tony) was such a cheerful and fun teacher.  When teaching us Pre-Calculus, he was trying to help us remember the quadrants of a particular grid by having us remember that All Students Take Calculus (All, Sine, Tangent, Cosine).  He laughed so hard when he learned that some of his naughtier students also used the mnemonic statement - Anthony Scalzi Teaches Crap.  Please take this with the total love and appreciation that he did.  He laughed with me when I told him this tale and said if I'd used his way, then maybe I would have passed calculus in college.  ;)

Much sympathy to his family.
Peace,
Lisa Hansknecht, '84



Mr. Scalzi was one of those teachers who genuinely cared about his students and wanted each of us to be successful.  Math was never my strong suit, however he was always there when I needed extra help in the morning or prepping before a test.  I remember he would be so patient explaining (and re-explaining) formulas to me until it finally clicked!  He instilled confidence in me and gave me the support I needed to get through Algebra…he will always be remembered and loved.   Tara (Luzod) Kaasa (1991)

Mr. Scalzi subbed for several of my math classes at Mercy after he retired. His classes are some of the best memories I have of high school. Mr. Scalzi went above and beyond his role of as a teacher to make sure his students knew he cared about them. When my dad passed away my freshman year, Mr. Scalzi would go out of his way to check in on me whenever he was in the building.  His sense of humor was probably my favorite thing about him- I can’t remember a single encounter I had with him that didn’t end with both of us cracking up. We stayed in touch on Facebook after I graduated. I’m going to miss seeing his updates and comments. His impact on my life left a lasting impression and I feel so lucky to have known him and been able to call him a friend. 

My sincerest condolences to the Scalzi Family.

Even though math was not my favorite subject, Mr.  Scalzi was one of my favorite teachers because he made it fun to learn.

It has been 40 years since I graduated from Mercy but I will continue to have fond memories of my time there, including math class!

Maria Belen R. San Juan, Class of 1983





Please accept my sincere condolences.  --Kimberly Kennedy Charles,  Mercy High School Class of 1989 

I am so sorry to hear of Tony's passing.  He and I carpooled to Mercy from Ann Arbor for the three years I taught science.  He was so devoted to his students!  And he was so fun loving!  He was thinking of moving to Plymouth at the time.  We would often drive home via Plymouth and look at houses that were for sale.  He would see me at the other end of the hall at school and say "Mrs. Brake, do you want to do a drive by after school?"  That always cracked me up.  The students must have wondered what we were talking about!  

Mr. Scalzi was a huge reason that Mercy High School was such a special place and he will forever be remembered fondly by the countless lives he impacted during his time there. I have such fond memories of laughing so hard in his classes, learning to enjoy math and physics, and feeling so excited to see him on the sidelines cheering us on during the many sporting events he attended. I’ll forever be one goal short of that extra credit point he bet me (a point he reminded me about every time I saw him following my Mercy lacrosse career, even years later.) He was an incredible man and I am sending love and prayers for comfort to his family. He will be greatly missed ❤️

I was so sorry to hear of Mr. Scalzi’s passing. Like many others here, he was one of my very favorite teachers and one of the most influential. I went from not being sure if I wanted to continue in math past geometry when I entered high school to choosing to major in math in college. I remember how he made me laugh, even at 8 AM in calculus class. He would say things like, “ The H went the way of the dodo bird,” when a variable mysteriously disappeared from an equation. Mostly, I remember how kind he was. My heartfelt condolences to the family. 

I’m sorry to hear of Mr. Scalzi’s passing and my deepest condolences to his family and friends. Even though I am over 20 years graduated from Mercy, Mr. Scalzi will be remembered as one of my favorite teachers of my entire life. I still remember that he even came to my high school graduation party. He had an infectious sense of humor, curiosity, and quirkiness that I recall fondly. He instilled in me such a fondness for math, logic, and analysis that I continued to pursue it in college and in my professional life.  I will remember him always. 💛



Tony was a dear friend and colleague and we will always remember him fondly.  He was always willing to help me and the "Myth, Tale and Legend" students by sharing his wealth of jokes, stories and Italian proverbs and all of us were richer for that cultural exchange.  He and Pat also supported the various activities of the Irish-American community in Detroit and we were happy to share many musical evenings with them.  Most of all, Tony was a devoted educator and a solid father figure not only to Kate and Emily, but to hundreds of Mercy girls as well.  So we take the time now to celebrate his contribution to this world-- which is enormous!  
Our thoughts and prayers continue as we mourn the loss of such a kind and devoted man and we celebrate his New Life in heaven.   
Un viaggio sicuro!       Jim and Jan

Mr. Scalzi was by far my favorite teacher. He loved what he did which lead me to spend time in office hours perfecting my math. One of those moments when you never forget where you were…the explosion of the Challenger. I was in his office when we heard and we watched together in the Math Lab. 

You have a special place in my heart. 

My condolences to the family. I can only imagine if he left such a strong impression with me that you are feeling a huge void. 

Rest in Peace.

Paula Sholeen “88” Priddy

Mr. Scalzi was a fantastic teacher and a wonderful human being. We are so fortunate to have been his students at Mercy. As a high school math teacher, I know his impact upon me was great. I’ll always remember Mr. Scalzi’s kindness, patience and humor. And that he made Geometry proofs fun (and that’s no small feat!).  It was so wonderful to reconnect with him as an adult and share math teacher stories. May he rest in peace.

I can still hear Mr. Scalzi's voice as he walked us through steps to solving Math problems.  He had a great sense of humor too - and really challenged us to learn and be our best.  I was a 1988 Mercy grad!  My condolences to his family.  Know that he set many of us on the right path.  Crystal Caruana Sullivan

My deepest condolences and heartfelt prayers to Tony’s family and friends on his passing.  His impact on me as a student was profound as I modeled my career in math education on how he taught and inspired me.  His humor, intellect and compassion were an amazing combination in a teacher, and I valued his advice as a mentor.



You will  be missed dearly. Forever in our hearts. 

Mr.  Scalzi was the perfect mix of kindness and high expectations.  He inspired me to work hard and to be proud of the fact that I was good at math.  He was ahead of his time.  While I’ve only seen him a handful of times since graduating in 96, this news has shaken me.   He made a huge impact on me.  Wishing you all peace at this time.  Warmly, Kate Sharkey

I am so sorry for your family’s loss. Mr. Scalzi was my favorite math teacher during my time Mercy. He was so kind, but demanded the best out of us because he knew we could do anything he threw at us. I will always remember his smile. It reached all the way to that twinkle in his eyes. Even after being frustrated with a classroom full of teenage girls, the smile would always return. He was a wonderful man and human being.

I am so sorry for your great loss.  It was lovely to see and sit at the same table with Tony at the recent Tea for Tuition at Mercy.  I left Mercy in 2017 after 20+ years, and have fond memories of eating lunch with him in the staff lunchroom.  He usually had something he heated that smelled wonderful and often "garlicky", putting my poor lunch to shame!  He was a gentle man that amazed us with his recall of student names and data, remembering students and even the classes they were in and where they sat for years!  He will be missed.

Warm wishes to the family and friends of Mr. Scalzi.  He was my all-time favorite teacher.  I was lucky to have him for three out of my four years at Mercy, and he made learning more fun than I realized. When I got to college and took calculus as an elective class, I finally realized that I didn't love math but that I actually loved Mr. Scalzi!

Mr. S was a wonderful educator in every sense of the word. He will be missed. And his dedication is so appreciated. 🙏 prayers for his family 

I am so sorry to learn of Mr. Scalzi’s passing. He was my math teacher for three out of my four years at Mercy and had a tremendous impact on me. There are so many wonderful things I could say about him - how his sense of humor made calculus fun, his patience in explaining a new concept until he was sure you understood, how he demanded the best of his students yet did so in an incredibly kind and gentle manner - but what I have carried with me in life more than anything is how he made certain  we all knew that math was indeed for girls as well as boys, and that anyone who told us we couldn’t do something because we were girls wasn’t worth listening to. It was a joy to reconnect with him on social media in recent years and I will miss him terribly.

Mr. Scalzi was such a wonderful teacher and human.  He was an important part of my growth at Mercy. He will be missed, but has left a beautiful legacy !

So sorry to hear this. He was one of my math teachers at Mercy High School, and was a really lovely guy. My thoughts to his family in this difficult time.

Uncle Tony was one of the most kind hearted person I have ever known.  You will be missed by so many but it gives me peace knowing you are in Heaven now with everyone.   Tell them all we will see each other again.

Tony was an excellent teacher and a wonderful man.  The next time I walk into Mercy’s gym for a basketball game, I will miss not seeing him there.

Kate, Emily, Pat and the rest of the family,
I am so sorry for the great loss you are all experiencing.  However, this time of grief will fade when you think of the wonderful place Tony (dad, grandpa) is now.  God welcomes home his servants with a welcoming “job well done.”  
Tony was one of the first teachers I met when I was hired back in 1986.  On my way to the science hall, I was stopped by his math office with a hearty handshake saying “I would love working here”   Man, was he ever right.  I loved every minute of my life at Mercy, as did he.  We both had the luxury of being “dad” and “teacher” at the same time with Emily and my daughter Amy (and, by the way, I always thought of Kate as an “official Mercy Girl”, too!)
I know that you will all miss him greatly, but I think he would like you to dwell on all the good times (and probably some corny dad times, too) and speak of him with a smile, like I always do.  Remember, you all have an extra guardian angel watching over you now.  I’ll continue to pray for Tony and you guys.

Mr Scalzi was an amazing human and impactful teacher. He was my advisor and math teacher, for algebra and geometry I think. He supported me during some of the harder moments of my high school career and I am so grateful we reconnected via Facebook. He came to my fathers viewing and I was able to see him and tell him again how much of an impact he had just this last April at the Mercy Tea for Tuition. May his memory forever be a blessing and his impact live on through the students he taught.   

Mr. Scalzi was my homeroom teacher up to my graduation in 1981. He was a needed mentor and friend. I went to UofM largely because of his guidance. I told him State would be more fun. He laughed and told me to go to Michigan since I got in and to make it fun! He was kind and caring and I'm forever grateful for his support. Much love and prayers to his wife, family and friends at this difficult time.

Mr Tony Scalzi was one of the best teachers I have ever had. I still remember the first day I sat in his ap calc class. He gave a word problem involving non-metric units, and very thoughtfully included the conversion formulas on the side for me, a new student who had just moved to the US. His “don’t drink, don’t drive, and stay out of my neighborhood” every Friday always made us laugh. He was also a great friend later on in life. I truly enjoyed grabbing lunch and chatting with him from time to time during the years I studied at Ann Arbor. His legacy lives on and I will forever cherish the memories I shared with him. - Qingya Liu

Kate and Emily,
I am so sorry about your dad. He changed thousands of young women's lives at Mercy. He will be remembered by many. I hope you can find peace on even the hardest of days.
Much Love,
Katie Callan-Wehrle (‘98), Michael and Rado Wehrle

Tony has been my brother in law since I was 17 years old…. Thankfully he’s with family, Mom, Dad, Peter, Mary and Tony.  I will miss him as long as I live.  He’s always been a great guy.   Once in a while We would date together with my ex- his brother.  Still love you like family Tony.  And say hello to Mom and dad, Peter too.  You are now our Heavenly Angel.  Love, Your ex- sister in law, Linda SCALZI 

OBITUARY

Anthony Scalzi

12 December, 1946 – 24 July, 2023

Harry J Will Funeral Homes

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