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ANNA CHOPEK September 18, 1912 - January 17, 2010 Born in Kozova, in Ukraine, Anna and her mother crossed the ocean when she was a year old to join her father who had come earlier to Boston, Mass. She graduated High School as the Depression deepened. Desirous of more education, she decided that she would go to Law School at night and pay her tuition by working as a secretary during the day. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Portia Law School for Women. When she took the Boston area Bar Exam, she received the highest score, though the other competitors were graduates of a variety of prestigious Law Schools like Harvard. This great honor did not open the doors to any law firms. Frustrated by the negative attitude towards women and the large disparity in salaries, she applied for and was hired by the U.S. Civil Service, and the General Accounting Office in New York and Washington. After the war she returned to Boston where she established her own practice. In 1945, she was appointed a member of the Displaced Persons Commission. In 1961 she was appointed an Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This was followed by an appointment as an Assistant District Attorney for the city of Boston. Upon retiring, she was honored by a group of eminent lawyers, all men. She found this to be a delicious irony. She retired to Los Alamos with her mother so that they could be with her sister, Stephanie Sydoriak, who worried how Anna would take to the small mountain town of Los Alamos after her career in Boston. There was no need to worry. In 1990, Anna ran for County Probate Judge and served two, four-year terms. Anna often spoke about how wonderful her retirement years in this small town were. She found many friends and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings. Throughout her life, she was active in Ukrainian affairs in the East, continuing even after retiring to the distant West. She enjoyed teaching the art of Ukrainian Easter Eggs at the Senior Center until a few years ago. In 2004, the New England School of Law in Boston, awarded her an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree for her contributions to the struggle of professional women to be recognized for their achievements in the field of law. She leaves her sister, Stephanie Sydoriak, of Los Alamos, and Stephanie's children, Stephen (Jane) and Katherine (George Lawrence) of Los Alamos, Eugene (Ginny) of Medford, Oregon, Christine of Boulder, Colorado, and Walter (Charisse) of Sequoia National Park, California; Also grandnephews: David (Diane) Lawrence of Boulder, CO, Stephen (Tiffany) Lawrence of Salt Lake City, and Cassiope Sydoriak of Boulder, CO. A family graveside ceremony took place on January 20, 2010. A celebration of her life will take place at a Memorial Mass on January 29, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Los Alamos, NM. In place of flowers, contributions in Anna's name can be made to: Ukrainian National Association, Scholarship Fund, The Ukrainian Weekly, 2200 Route 10, Parsippany, NJ 07054.
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