Dr. Michael Mazza

Glenda Mazza has been waiting 40 years for her favorite doctor to make a house call. Finally, a few weeks ago, he obliged and she is taking him on vacation before he can change his mind.

Spencerport physician Mike Mazza has provided medical care to thousands of local residents over a span of four decades. Recently, at the age of 70, he retired from Spencerport Family Medicine, leaving a void that will be difficult to fill. The line up of people waiting to shake his hand and say thank you at his reception a couple weeks ago was a testament to the impact he has made in the Spencerport community. During his four decades as a local physician, Mazza has treated three generations of patients, while also being an active member of St. John the Evangelist Church, a generous contributor to many charities, and a loving husband, father and grandfather.

His fellow doctors at Spencerport Family Medicine have nominated him for "Physician of the Year" for the last five years. Elizabeth Feltner, one of Mazza's peers, said she has looked at him as a mentor in many ways.

"He is the most humble man you could ever imagine when you consider all that he has accomplished," said Feltner. She said his smile after a long day and his support for his fellow doctors were hallmarks of Mazza's work.

"I can remember a really bad day here, when just about everything possible happened," said Feltner. "Mike just walked in my office and without engaging in a long conversation just said, 'I'll take call for you tonight,' he has always been thoughtful like that."

Feltner said Mazza's depth of experience has also benefited his fellow doctors. "I think we have all learned that there is more than one way to do something, and that sometimes older medicines are just as good," said Feltner. "Mike always listens to his patients." While Mazza was able to pull from his past, Feltner said he was always focused on keeping up with the times. "In a radically changing profession, Mike has been able to change with the times," said Feltner.

Jane Dry, a nurse who has worked with Mazza for 32 years, has been there for many of the changes. Mazza began his practice with Dr. Dominic DiVincenzo in DiVincenzo's home on Meadow Drive. They moved to a duplex they organized as an office on Ridge Road West and were joined by DiVincenzo's brother, Michael. Then they moved behind Spencerport Florist. Dominic retired and Michael DiVincenzo died. Mazza eventually moved to the Spencerport Family Medicine practice. Through the moves and the mergers, Mazza did not lose his zest for what he was doing.

"I think I am most impressed that over all these years he has maintained his moral standards," said Dry. She has also enjoyed his sense of humor. And they had a lot to laugh about.

Dry recalls a little boy who came into the office to have his foot checked out. When he was asked to remove his right shoe he became immediately upset because he realized that he had washed the wrong foot.

She remembers a nervous phone call that came from a woman who was scheduled to have blood work done at the office. She wanted to know if she could still have blood taken after licking 100 stamps.

She can also remember an excited bride-to-be calling to schedule blood tests for herself and her loved one. When Dry asked her how to spell her fiancé's last name there was a noticeable pause followed by, "Honey, how do you spell your name?"

For Glenda, also a nurse, it was actually "his care for people" that attracted her to her future husband. The two met in an operating room at Rochester General when Glenda was in training and Michael was an intern. They dated for four years before Michael was sent to Germany in the Air Force. After being apart for a year, Michael decided that it was time to make clear his intentions to Glenda. He mailed her a beer stein with an engagement ring in the bottom of the glass. The two were married and went back to Germany together.

His care for his patients could be a blessing or a curse to their family, however, as Mazza had an office phone line running into their home when he first began his practice in Spencerport. It rang constantly. Glenda recalls the patience with which he dealt with every individual.

"I sometimes got angry at the people who would call all the time, but he never did," said Glenda, adding that he has always been able to maintain his even keel temperament. "His patience and virtue and the way he handled things at work also coincided with the way he was at home."

While she finally has her husband back, Glenda said she won't expect to see too much of him. "He's been active since the first day he was born," said Glenda. "He's going to have something to do all the time."