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Mary Kopas |
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November 20, 1953 ~ December 20, 2017 |
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December 26, 2017 |
This is written with a heavy heart. Mary Kopas
passed away at her home in Moyie Springs on the
night of Wednesday, December 20, 2017. She was
64 years old. A ceremony and services will be
held in the springtime.
Mary was born in 1953 in rural Wisconsin and was
raised with five older brothers and a younger
sister. In 1990, Mary relocated with her family
to put down roots in North Idaho.
Her door was always open and all were welcomed
to her table. As a result, her home was
regularly bustling with life, love and laughter.
Mary was a lifelong compassionate caregiver to
people and animals. Her kindness and generosity
are unparalleled and these attributes had a
transformative impact on the lives of countless
young people and a great many came to know her
as “Mom.”
In addition to her warmth and kindness, Mary was
an incredible performer. Her stage was typically
a circle of chairs around which she captivated
many an audience. Brimming with humor, her
stories are often believed to be tall tales,
although a surprising number have actually been
corroborated by her siblings.
Mary was often silly and had the ability to find
fun and absurdity in the mundane, which made for
a wealth of unique and memorable experiences
shared with those around her. Under the surface,
Mary reserved a profound strength that was
brought to bear when needed by her friends and
family. Mary was a truly beautiful person and
will be missed tremendously.
Mary is survived by her husband David Kopas,
daughter Emily Smedley, sons Wade Young-Jelinek,
Joe Schierholt, Ethan Jelinek and Anton Kopas,
and many foster children, grandchildren Ayla
Jelinek, Adria Jelinek, Cadean Smedley, Aslynn
Smedley, Deven Kopas, Leanah Kopas and Eva
Young-Jelinek, sister Chris Kutz and brothers
Edward Sigmund and Jeff Sigmund.
Mary was preceded in death by her son Amos Kopas,
brothers Larry Sigmund, Troy Sigmund and Greg
Sigmund, and parents Edward and Dolores Sigmund. |
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