When I think of Feltz Associates, LLC, I think of Family- my Home Family and
my Work Family.
Many of you already know that I started in the business working with my father, Carmine S. Feltz, first at his Partnership Sarrus Associates in Palisades Park, NJ, and then when he left that firm to start his own Practice in 1972. I was blessed to work with a wonderful Father who approached most every job he did with great enthusiasm and patience, whether it was when we were children growing up, or when he was working with me in the office. So I always loved when we collaborated on a project in the office. I remember the excitement I felt when we solved a problem or completed a return. It did not matter whether it was a large return or small. We always gave great care to each and every client.
And I still do. Each and every return, each and every client that I work on is important to me. Sometimes I feel like an Artist. And other times I feel bogged down by some of the more cumbersome tax laws and regulations, which I am required to adhere to.
Family, well it was not long after Carmine S. Feltz’s office increased in size. In 1972, I gave birth to my first child, Amy. We eventually moved from 524 Bergen Ave in Maywood, my parents’ home where I grew up, to 20 Court Street, Hackensack, NJ where we had a special room for our Amy, and then Claire, and then Matthew, and then Valerie. In 1983, we hired Tina Murphy to work with us, our long-time friend, and amazing secretary. We continued to find better office spaces for a growing practice. We moved to an Office in Maywood, then back to 20 Court Street, then to 60 Court Street, then to 144 Main St. Hackensack then to Bergen Street, Hackensack, and finally, in around 1996, we moved our office to our current location. Early in 1995, we began to bring my parent’s youngest Grandchild, Jennifer, to the office a few days a week. We always had a space or a room set aside for the little ones, but they spent much time at the desk sitting on my lap and on Great Grandma Miriam’s lap (my mother who shared space with us while she ran her Payroll and Data Processing business Mirjo Data Co., Inc. since 1977), and Aunt Tina’s lap.
In 1997, Tina Murphy let us know she would retire and move to Western NJ to live with her daughter’s family, in a Mother-Daughter apartment. At that time, Amy decided that she wanted to spend more time with her daughter, Skye, who was not quite two, and asked if she could work with us, since Skye was already spending her days at the office with us. Eventually, Skye & Jennifer had to share the office attention with Amy’s sons Edward, and then Ethan.
Sadly, in May, 2002, Carmine passed away. Carmine worked until the week prior to his passing. Not quite 8 months later, Miriam, his wife, and my Mother passed on. Miriam also continued to run her business until she became ill a few months after Carmine passed away.
Eventually, the second round of children grew into teenagers and adults. Now, when they came to the office, they were filing and shredding for us. And then in August 2018, we had the joy of welcoming my Son Matthew’s little ones, Lana and Bryce (Maximus was already in Grade School) to the office three and four days a week.
And then came Coronavirus, and life changed for all of us. No more children in the office, no more clients in the office. Which is what brought me to agree to this web presence. Here’s to hoping we can return to some semblance of normalcy very soon.
