Lawrence O. "Larry" Spataro (1964-2023)

Longtime HealthWest Recipience Rights Officer Lawrence O. "Larry" Spataro recently passed away after battling cancer.

Visitation will take place at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 2, at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church. Burial will follow at 11 a.m.

Larry was a steadfast defender of the rights of those we served and a dedicated servant to the city of Muskegon. Larry will be missed, but his legacy of service and impact on his community will live on.

You can view a full version of Larry's obituary as well as sign the guestbook by clicking here.

Lawrence O. "Larry" Spataro, age 59, passed away Sunday, August 27, 2023, at Trinity Health – Muskegon Campus, after a sixth-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born July 15, 1964, in Monroe, MI to Carlo V. Spataro and Martha J. Bottomley and lived in the Muskegon area his entire life. An avid reader and life-long comic book enthusiast, Larry graduated from Reeths-Puffer High School in 1982 and earned his bachelor's degree from the James Madison College at Michigan State University in 1986. He was a proud Baritone Horn player in the Spartan Marching Band and marched with the Alumni Band for over 30 years. He was employed at the County of Muskegon where he worked for over 32 years, 27 of which as a Recipients Rights Officer for HealthWest. A true servant leader, Larry dedicated his life to advocating for those who could not advocate for themselves. He was also passionate about his hometown and served for 16 years as a Commissioner for the City of Muskegon. Recently he served on the City of Muskegon Planning Commission. He was past president of the Nelson Neighborhood Association and served as Chair of the City of Muskegon Neighborhoods' Association. Larry was a longtime and devoted member of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church where he served as a Lector.

Survivors include his mother, Martha J. Bottomley; his father, Carlo V. Spataro; his sisters, Carla (Vincent Martinez) Spataro, Angela (Kevin) Cook; his nephews, Thomas and James Cook; and his stepsister, Heather D. (Matt) Courson. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 AM Saturday, September 2, 2023, at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 1716 Sixth Street, Muskegon, MI 49441, with Rev. Fr. Steven W. Geerling presiding. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the Mass at the church. Interment will take place at St. Mary's Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Spartan Marching Band, the Nelson Neighborhood Association, or the St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church Memorial Fund. Arrangements handled by The Walburn Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 1547 W. Sherman Blvd, Muskegon, MI 49441. Sign the online guestbook at www.sytsemafh.com.

Beware: New phishing attacks targeting CMHs

HealthWest has received reports of recent phishing and other security attacks targeting CMH, PIHP, and provider agencies. These attacks are coming from spoofed (faked) accounts targeting individuals to download malicious files, share sensitive data, or log in to fake sites to steal your information.

What may start as a phishing attempt may lead to targeted attacks against an individual including contacting personal emails and phone numbers they may find on public sites. These attackers are using real information such as public postings or compromised email lists to craft convincing attack emails. An example is an email containing a link to download documents, such as the included image.

Since these look very convincing, please remember safe browsing and email skills. If you’re not sure about a link or an email please use the Phish Alert Report Button in Outlook or contact the helpdesk using Track-It.

Do not open attachments or click on links from any contacts you aren’t expecting to hear from and follow up with a contact over known communication methods (publicly posted numbers or email addresses) to confirm any unsolicited email or phone communications.

As always, stay vigilant. Become a “Human Firewall” against cyber attacks. If you would like additional resources we can assign additional trainings in our KnowBe4 system that addresses these concerns on top of our normal security training.