Edward Martin Kopta, age 89, of Annapolis, Maryland, passed away suddenly and peacefully on Monday, March 18, 2019. He had the luck of the Irish until the very end: he was able to celebrate one final St. Patrick’s Day, which he always cherished because of his Irish heritage on his mother’s side.
Mr. Kopta, son of Edward and Mai (Hubbard) Kopta, was born on November 26, 1929, in New York City. Inspired by the heroism of the Greatest Generation, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at the age of 17; he saw active duty in both Korea and Vietnam. He later transferred to the U.S. Air Force, and retired from the service after multiple tours throughout the world. While completing his bachelor’s degree after leaving the military, he met Sandra Lee Burger. Sandra and Edward married on July 20, 1968, and had three daughters. When he and Sandra were raising their family, he worked for the Veterans Administration for more than 20 years in its Washington, D.C., headquarters and in branch offices in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Phoenix, Arizona. Edward and Sandra divorced in 1998.
He is survived by his daughters – Kerry DeSomma and her husband Vincent of Bethesda, Maryland, Elizabeth Kopta and her husband Henry C. Schaefer of Frederick, Maryland, and Aimee Kopta and her husband Victor Medina of San Juan, Puerto Rico; four grandchildren – Alessandra DeSomma, Victoria DeSomma, Henry K. Schaefer, and Vincent DeSomma IV; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sisters, Dorothy Brown and Edna Bresnahan, and his former wife Sandra. In recent years, he enjoyed the loving care and support of Alisa Olfus and Bill Cummings.
Funeral services will be held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Annapolis, Maryland, on Saturday, April 6, 2019, at 9:00 am. Burial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions in Edward’s name be made to the Little Sisters of the Poor of Baltimore (littlesistersofthepoorbaltimore.org or St. Martin’s Home, 601 Maiden Choice Lane, Baltimore, Maryland 21228) or the charity of your choice.
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