Rosanne "Posy" S. Kopf: An Admirable Woman and Mother Who Inspired Many

Friends and family are mourning the loss of their beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother, who was widely considered as an inspiration for both her philanthropic work and unshakably positive attitude and friendly, outgoing nature.

Rosanne "Posy" S. Kopf, 89, passed away on Feb. 26, with her sons George Kopf, 66, and David Kopf, 46, by her side.

She was born Sept. 21, 1925 in Columbus, Ohio. She lived with her parents, Dorothy Bolin Singleton, originally of Brooklyn, N.Y., and David Phelps Singleton, a native Buckeye, as well as her younger sister, Nancy, in Upper Arlington, a trolley car suburb of Columbus. Rosanne — whom everyone knew as Posy — and Nancy grew up under the watchful eyes of her grandparents, Edward and Emma Bolin, who lived just around the corner.

Kopf (then Singleton) graduated from Steven's University with an Associate degree. After returning to Ohio from a temporary move to San Francisco during World War II, Posy began a nearly lifelong marriage with George B. Kopf Jr., a U.S. Navy lieutenant who had returned to Toledo, Ohio, from duty in the Pacific Campaign.

George and Posy raised three children, George, Elizabeth and David. While Kopf was a doting mother (and, eventually, grandmother and great grandmother), she also was a highly involved member of the communities in which she lived and an active member of various charitable organizations. One of her first notable public achievements was working as Director of a Sandusky, Ohio-area Planned Parenthood in 1952.

After moving to Mission Viejo, Calif. in 1979, Kopf continued her work for charitable and other benevolent undertakings. She was an active member in the Newcomer's Club, which helped welcome new residents of Mission Viejo, then an Orange County suburb still very much under development. Kopf also was an active member of the Orange County chapter of the Beverly Stills Foundation to benefit the Orange County Performance Arts Center, as well as the School Belles, which worked to provide underprivileged schoolchildren with school supplies.

Kopf was a charter member of two Episcopal churches, St. Michael's of the Hills in Ottawa Hills, Ohio, and St. Margaret's in San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

Posy and George Kopf moved from Mission Viejo to Laguna Niguel, Calif., in 1990. After George passed away in 2007, she moved to The Wellington assisted living community in Laguna Hills, where she resided until her passing.

A memorial service was held for Kopf at The Wellington on March 3, and was heavily attended by family and friends, a testament to how much she put into the communities she lived in and the many friendships and deep love she derived from them. Since that time, her family has received an outpouring of condolences and fond wishes and recollections from Kopf's many friends and charity peers.

Kopf is survived by sons George (Grace) of Corpus Christi, Texas; and David (Robin) of Aliso Viejo, Calif.; daughter Elizabeth Gillespie (John) of Carmel, Ind.; five granddaughters, Roxanne, Caroline, Madeleine, Amelia and Liliana; and four great grandchildren, Asher, Ruby, Eileen and Truman.

The family requests any memorial donations be made in Rosanne S. Kopf's name to the national early literacy program Reach Out & Read (www.reachoutandread.org) or the charity of their choice. Those wishing to contact Kopf's family can reach her son, David Kopf, at kopfmemorial@gmail.com.