Remembering Matthew Raisz of Marika’s Antiques

Matthew “Matt” Raisz, owner of Marika’s Antiques on Charles Street, passed away on Oct. 20, following a tough battle with multiple myeloma. He was only 69.

Matt joined the staff of Marika’s Antiques in 1974. His grandmother and the founder of the business that bears her name, Marika, moved the shop in 1968 from Boylston Street to its current location at the corner of Revere and Charles streets, where Matt would continue running the business after her death in 1986.

Besides being a Beacon Hill institution that bought and sold antiques and jewelry from around the globe, Marika’s  became a gathering place for a great number of fascinating dealers, collectors, and neighborhood characters.

Brian Maglione, owner of Boston Antiques and Lampshades on Charles Street, knew Matt since 1988 and remembers him as a fair and knowledgeable antiques dealer, as well as a truly decent person.

“He was sincerely honest and fair in his dealings, and just a nice person,” Maglione said of Mr. Raisz. “He was always willing to impart his knowledge and not one of those dealers who was afraid to tell you something so he could get on up on you. He was happy to educate people.”

Matt leaves behind Rose, the love of his life for 44 years, his siblings Pancaratna, Jonathan, Katherine and Nicholas, as well as his nieces and nephews and their families. He will be remembered as a most kind, generous, principled, and loving husband, brother, uncle, and friend, and he will be sorely missed.

Donations in Matt’s honor may be made to heifer.org, a favorite of one of his many charities.

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