Scott Zervitz and Leslie Gray Streeter were married for five years and five months before he died July 29. (Brandon Kruse/ The Palm Beach Post file)
Scott Mitchell Zervitz, diehard Baltimore sports fan, lover of Maryland-style crab cakes, salesman and husband of The Post’s pop culture columnist Leslie Gray Streeter, died suddenly on Wednesday morning. The cause of death was cardiac arrest, according to his family. He was 44.
“He was humble. He was just the best person I’ve ever met. No one left his presence a stranger; no one left his presence untouched. They always left his presence less sad and lonely,” said Streeter, who celebrated her fifth year of marriage to Zervitz earlier this year.
A graduate of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Zervitz relished his role as the yin to Streeter’s yang, a role that earned him occasional cameos in her writings, first as “the Gentleman Friend,” and later “the Mister.”
“He’s the best thing that ever happened to me, and I’m so grateful,” Streeter said Thursday.
Leslie Gray Streeter and Scott Zervitz. (Contributed)
They met in the 9th grade and reconnected two decades later in 2008. He proposed in the summer of 2009, “dropping to his knees at a jewelry store in the middle of a mall,” as Streeter would tell the story later.
They married Feb. 28, 2010, sealing their most unexpected love story. “The best love stories are almost always the ones you never saw coming,” Streeter wrote in a column about their engagement.
They had their years at Baltimore City College High School and their Maryland devotions in common, and they would come to share Zervitz’s passion for sports, a passion reflected in the heap of memorabilia he brought into their first shared home.
“Now that Scott and his stuff are in residence, I’d describe the place as Pier 1 meets Baltimore Ravens Gift Shop: Nearly 60 Ravens jerseys, more than 20 Ravens and Baltimore Orioles hats, his Ravens slippers and his Ravens Snuggie, which is quite comfy but clashes with my flowered couch. (Did I mention we’re from Baltimore?),” wrote Streeter.
For a time, Zervitz, a Lake Worth resident, shared his sports-related musings on his own internet radio show, “Scotty Z’s Sports Locker.”
Leslie Gray Streeter and Scott Zervitz. (Contributed)
In addition to his wife, Zervitz is survived by brothers Joshua and Michael Zervitz, nieces Mia Zervitz, Chloe Appleby and Marissa Gendason, nephews Cody Gendason, Riley Gendason and Alex Childress, goddaughter Maya Wilson, cousins Kenny Gendason, Jeffrey Gendason and Louis Gendason, aunt Faye Better and godmother Gretchen Styles.
A private memorial service is planned.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations may be made to the Jemicy School at 11 Celadon Rd., Owings Mill, MD, 21117 (www.JemicySchool.org).
Zervitz attended middle school at Jemicy, a school for students with dyslexia.
“Scott was very proud to attend the school at a time when no one knew what dyslexia was,” Streeter said. “This school was a lifesaver to him.”
