Living just a block and a half away from Marcella “Marcy” Dalsey in Haddonfield, Mary Previte remembers the dedication Dalsey brought every day to work at the Katz Academy Charter School, where the two worked together.
“She was there every single day,” Previte said. “And every single day she did her work with exceptional enthusiasm.”
Dalsey was one of Lewis Katz’s three friends who were aboard a private jet that crashed in Massachusetts on May 31. Previte was not surprised Katz decided to take Dalsey on the trip with him.
“She was instrumental in the success of the Katz Academy Charter School,” Previte said. “If Katz was going to be discussing education, she would have been his first choice as a spokeswoman. Katz had a vision to get talented women to play major parts in his organizations, and she was a shining example of this.”
In 2012, Dalsey co-founded the Katz Academy Charter School in Camden with Katz. She served as president of the school, handling a multitude of tasks.
“If a meeting needed to be called with the community, Dalsey handled it,” Previte said. “If papers needed to be filled out, she handled it. If anything needed to be done, you knew you could count on her to take control.”
Dalsey also served as the executive director of the Drew A. Katz Foundation.
“She handled all the behind-the-scenes stuff,” Previte said. “Her skill and energy couldn’t be matched by anyone.”
Dalsey was a strong believer in structure and order, which she implemented into the curriculum of the Katz Academy Charter School.
“She had very high expectations for the children,” Previte said. “It was an ideal situation for these kids. Many of the kids come from tough backgrounds and Dalsey made it a point to bring some form of structure to their lives.”
These character traits also allowed Dalsey to run the successful Gracie’s ice cream parlor in Haddonfield, which was named after her daughter.
“Marcy was the original owner of Gracie’s,” current owner Nancy Mariscalco said. “She often frequented Gracie’s with friends and would reminisce of the time she was behind the counter and always thanked me for keeping Gracie’s a fun family place.”
Family played a major role in Dalsey’s life. She raised four children in Haddonfield. She played an active role in her children’s lives, even participating in school plays with them.
“Her love for children will always be appreciated,” Previte said. “She was the heart and soul of the Katz Academy and did so much for the community of Haddonfield. If nothing else, we can all learn something about love and dedication from the life of Marcy Dalsey.”
