Barbara Ann Belvek Spadanuta

Barbara Ann Belvek Spadanuta
May 29, 1932 – January 3, 2026

Barbara was born in the Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, to Helen Marguerite (Smith) Belvek and R. Robert Belvek (born Rudolf Belohlavek). She grew up surrounded by a close-knit extended family and shared a special bond with her maternal grandparents, Bessie (Schulfer) Smith and Frank Smith, as well as her beloved Uncle Henry "Hank" Smith and the large Belohlavek family. She graduated from Carl Schurz High School in 1950, and maintained lifelong friendships with many of her classmates—and remained a lifelong Cubs fan!

After her family relocated to Iowa, Barbara attended the University of Dubuque, where she met Andrew Louis Spadanuta. They married in 1952 and settled in Andy’s hometown of Oceanside, New York, where they raised their three children, Louis Robert (1953), Kathi Alyn (1955), and Susan Lee (1957). These upheavals and new responsibilities all at a time in Barbara’s young life contributed to post-partum psychosis episodes which the family endured to the best of their abilities to understand and support at that time.

Over the course of their long marriage, even with periods of separation, Barbara and Andy shared decades of family devotion, community service, political involvement, and adventure.

An energetic advocate for social justice and civic engagement, Barbara devoted much of her life to political activism. She was deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement, opposed the Vietnam War, and worked tirelessly on political campaigns and community causes. She served as a delegate to the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, supporting Senator Eugene McCarthy, and again in 1972 in Miami, supporting Senator George McGovern and running his Nassau County campaign headquarters. In 1983, Barbara and Andrew were honored as co-recipients of the Allard K. Lowenstein Award, presented by Congressman Barney Frank, in recognition of their dedication to public service and democratic values. Her commitment to civic engagement remained strong through her later years, when she organized public affairs programs for fellow residents and invited elected officials to engage directly with the senior communities in which she lived.

Barbara embraced life with enthusiasm and curiosity. She had a deep appreciation for culture and the arts, and shared her love of cinema, museums, theater, ballet, restaurants, and took advantage of New York City's rich cultural life with her children, extended family, and friends. In the 1960’s, Barbara co-owned and ran a consignment shop in Cedarhurst, NY (“The Place in Back”) to provide a marketplace for local artisans and their original, unique works of arts and crafts.

Barbara was also an avid traveler. Beginning with a memorable and formative two-month family journey in Europe in 1963, she continued to explore the world all through her life, traveling extensively throughout the United States and abroad. She especially treasured sharing those experiences with her children and grandchildren, creating cherished memories with trips such as Disney destinations, Europe, and a Baltic cruise.

Over the course of her life, Barbara lived in and maintained homes in Chicago IL, Dubuque IA, Fort Smith, AK, Oceanside, Long Beach, Baldwin, West Shokan, Manhattan (all in NY), and West Hollywood, FL. Towards the end of her life, when she needed assisted living support due to increasing dementia, she resided in Dominican Village, Amityville (built by her husband’s company, The Stanan Group) and The Bristal in North Woodmere. In all these places, Barbara created sincere friendships and warm social connections.

Barbara is survived by her daughters, Kathi (Finbarr) Lismore, and Susan (Dhanya Pater) Spadanuta; her grandchildren, Jason (Kathryn) Spadanuta-Castello, Fiamma Mia Pliskin Spadanuta, and Eva/Nathan Spadanuta; and great-grandchildren, Clark, Amiyah, and Kamillah. She was preceded in death by her husband Andrew (2000), her son Louis (2021), and her sister Roberta Nacos (2008). She will be lovingly remembered by her first cousin Joann Polko, and her many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Barbara was a very generous supporter of many charities and organizations. In lieu of flowers, donations can be given in her name to any charity or organization which supports the values and aims she cared about and worked to achieve.