AnnMarie Elizabeth (Kopacz) Meile

AnnMarie (Kopacz) Meile, 75

March 13, 1949 - February 11, 2025

Holy Trinity/St. Monica’s/Nevins Library

Methuen, MA & NJ - AnnMarie Elizabeth (Kopacz) Meile, daughter of the late Marilyn and Raymond Kopacz, died surrounded by loving family after a courageous battle with Life. Raised in Holy Trinity Church/School, Lawrence High School, and Turn Hall, she was the dedicated eldest of seven children, and was instrumental in raising them.

Living in Methuen as a mother to two beloved children, Teresa and Andrea, she took on many roles: wife, nurse, teacher, cook, counselor, cheerleader, earner, and religious educator. She was active in the Oakland Avenue PTA, bake sales, and fundraising. She was a devoted member of St. Monica’s Parish, later teaching CCD. Every holiday became special with her delicious cooking, thoughtfulness, and warm smile.

In the 1970s-80s, her deep passions for reading and genealogy converged at the Nevins Memorial Library, where she and her children spent countless hours. Later, her most treasured and proud job was as a Library Assistant there, where colleagues became dear friends. Pre-internet era, AnnMarie was instrumental in the setup and conversion of their manual systems to digital data, impacting 50k catalogued items, 12k patrons, and fueling a new passion for computer science.

At age 41 as a divorced mom, she realized her lifelong dream of going to college, and attended Northeastern University for one semester before she fell extremely ill.

While employed at Malden Mills polar fleece manufacturing for many years, she came down with a virulent bout of flu and other illnesses that spiraled into life-long chronic fatigue/ME, breathing issues, and painful fibromyalgia. 

Though a proud and hard worker, she had to reduce her hours to part time jobs for the next 20 years at: Methuen Public Schools, the IRS, CBCInnovis, MA Board of Library Commissioners, and MA Division of Employment. Finally succumbing to her physical disabilities, which later included breast cancer, she was never able to return to college or the library work she loved.

Moving to NJ to be near her grandchildren, AnnMarie was welcomed by her sister Ramona and brother-in-law Jim. Their love and dedication through 8 years living in their home as well as another 10 spent in nearby assisted living facilities cannot be understated.

AnnMarie/Nana Ame, a doting mother/grandmother, beamed when others entered a room. She spent countless hours guiding her children and grandchildren through the ups and downs of life. Just by being herself, she exemplified what it meant to be hard-working, empathetic, and caring. Her love for family was generous, unbounded, and deeply felt.

AnnMarie later lived at Amber Court of Elizabeth and Sunrise of Edgewater assisted living facilities. In her final weeks, cared for by dedicated staff at Hackensack Medical Center and Villa Marie Claire hospice. AnnMarie’s last act of generosity will extend far into the future, as a proud donor to the global research of the NIH Brain and Tissue Repository.

AnnMarie is survived by her cherished and admiring daughter, Teresa (Meile) Bailey of NJ, dedicated son-in-law Arthur, and adoring grandchildren, Olivia and Samuel. She was very close with her beloved siblings and their spouses, Jacqueline (Kopacz) Dow Chamberlain of MA; Catherine (Kopacz) and John Sambataro of FL; Ramona and James Kopacz of NJ; Andrew Kopacz of FL; Mark and Renae Kopacz of IL; and Richard and Rhonda Kopacz of MA. Also survived by dearest life-long friend, Jo-Ann Huddleston of MA; paternal great-aunt Theresa (Pendak) Uttley; maternal aunt Roberta (Gamble) Schneider; former husband and childhood friend, Michael Meile of Lawrence and FL; and former son-in-law Russell Cushing of FL. Countless cousins, nieces, nephews and god-children will miss their kind hearted, smart, and loving AnnMarie/Aunt Ame. Predeceased by her beloved daughter, Andrea (Meile) Cushing of FL; loving parents Marilyn (Schneider) and Raymond Kopacz; and cherished grandparents Herman and Mary (Kelly) Schneider as well as John and Lottie (Pendak) Kopacz.

Memorial donations may be sent to www.nevinslibrary.org to www.solvecfs.org to the hospice at www.villamarieclaire.org or to the Ramapo College of NJ/OSS Staff Memorial Scholarship. Condolences may be posted at www.kimakfuneralhome.net

This summer, a Celebration of Life will be held at the Dewhirst Boles Funeral Home at 80 Broadway, Methuen, MA 01844 on Friday, July 25th from 6-8pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Holy Rosary Shrine church at 28 Union St, Lawrence, MA on Saturday, July 26th at 10:30am.

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