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Memorial for Amelia Hatrak
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Born in Milltown, NJ on Jul. 22, 1927
Departed on Jun. 16, 2017 and resided in Montclair, NJ.
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Private Service
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Ms Amelia "Amy" Hatrak (née Amelia Callas) died peacefully in West Caldwell Care Center on June 16th at the age of 89. She lived the majority of her adult life in Montclair, NJ, where she left an enduring legacy in the arts an education.
Amy Hatrak is survived by her former husband Theodore (Ted) Stevens Hatrak; children, Christopher Stevens Hatrak and Melissa Decker Hatrak; and siblings, George Callas of Brielle, NJ, and Stephen Callas of Washington, D.C..
Amy Hatrak was born on July 22, 1927 in Milltown, NJ to Agnes and Stephen Callas, graduated Summa Cum Laude from The College of New Jersey in 1950 with a BS degree in Education, and minor in Fine Art. She was one of five education graduates from the state of New Jersey chosen to teach the children of American military stationed in Germany after World War Two. In Europe she married her college sweetheart Ted Hatrak, who served in the American military in Italy. After returning to the United States Ted Hatrak earned a Master degree in music education at Columbia University. The couple bought a home in Montclair NJ, and taught school in Essex Fells and Montclair, they eventually opened The Academy of Musical Arts in Montclair where Ted Hatrak was creative director. They also were active in the Montclair Operetta Club where Ted Hatrak served as musical director. From 1962-1965 the couple welcomed two adopted children into their home. She is remembered as a dedicated and talented mother who surrounded their lives with grace and charm. The couple divorced amicably in the 1980's.
Amy Hatrak continued to achieve numerous accomplishments, awards, and accolades throughout her life. As a young woman she was a showroom model for Oleg Cassini who created some of the most famous looks for Jackie Kennedy. Through her work with the Montclair Junior League she became an early director of the Israel Crane House Museum, and was instrumental in creating their docent program. She was a coauthor of Fanny Pierson Crane: her Receipts, and The Thirteen Colonies Cookbook, and contributed a food column in the now defunct New Jersey Good Life Magazine. She furthered her education at the James Fennimore Cooper Museum and the New York School of Interior Design. She was a guest lecturer at historic homes throughout the country on 18th and 19th century American domestic arts and food. She later became an accomplished interior designer, and won The Preservation award from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for her work on Burrage House in Boston, Ma. She is a past president of the Montclair Friends of Barnett sister city organization. She won Women of the Year in the Arts from the Montclair Women's Club, The Rosemary Circle Award from the Herb Society of America, and an annual award is given in her name by the Garden Club of Montclair.
A funeral is scheduled for 10am, Saturday, July 8th at Saint Luke's Episcopal Church, 73 S. Fullerton Ave., Montclair, NJ, with a reception to follow at 191 Alexander Ave, Montclair, NJ. Rev John Mennell will officiate at the ceremony. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Amy Hatrak's life. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Amy Hatrak Memorial Fund online at: gofundme.com/amy-hatrak-memorial-fund.
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