Pauline "Billie" E Kopek

Nursing Service Director

Pauline “Billie” Kopek passed away Thursday May 10, 2012 at her home in Springfield, Virginia. Billie was born in North Dakota, daughter of Howard and Pauline Schmid.

She started her education in a one room school house which she often reached on horseback or in a team drawn “jumper” in a snow storm. She came to D.C. shortly after Pearl Harbor as one of the many Government Girls. During WW II, she joined the Cadet Nursing Corp, graduating from Sibley Memorial Hospital School of Nursing. She subsequently received a BS in nursing from Catholic University (1958) and a Master of Public Health from UNC (1962). Her nursing career varied including Head Nurse Sibley Hospital, VNA in D.C., office nursing for Doctors, Orr, Coleman and Moses, Federal Government Occupational and Public Health in Arlington County. For over six years, she was active in developing services for the intellectually disabled in Arlington County.

Billie served as Director of Arlington County Bureau of Public Health Nursing from 1967 until her retirement in 1978. She was a past president of the District Nurses Association, a board member of the Virginia Nursing Association and served on numerous state wide committees. She also attended several international nurses meetings.

On July 5, 1943 she married John L. Kopek of Yonkers, New York. Together they enjoyed playing golf and bridge, and wintering in Florida. Traveling was a great joy spending many years as a member of the ESCAMS Flying Club. Colonial Beach was her second home for many years. She was a member and Elder of the United Church of Christ in Arlington.

She is preceded in death by her husband John and three sisters, Gertrude, Marguerite and Frances. She is survived by a sister Sonja Lee, a brother Howard Schmid, godson Jeff Fox and numerous dearly loved nieces and nephews.