Anne Rebecca Popkin

Anne Rebecca Popkin died July 4 at her home in Phoenix, Arizona. She was 88. The cause was complications from diabetes and myelodysplasia, a disease of the bone marrow. Anne Cohen was born in 1918, the third of 6 children born to Sam and Sadie Cohen of Duluth. Orphaned at 5, she was raised by her mother's sister and her husband, Lena and Sam Levenson, together with her twin sister, two brothers, and the Levensons three children in Duluth. She graduated from Duluth Central High School with honors at sixteen. One of her fondest memories was interviewing Amelia Earhart for the school newspaper. She was awarded a scholarship to college although she had to leave school her first year to help support the family. In 1939 she married Arnold Popkin and moved to Superior where she lived over 30 years. Mr. Popkin and his brother-in-law, Ben Marcovich, operated Popkin Furniture. In Superior, she was active with her synagogue women's groups and also with Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and PTA. She was known as an excellent cook and an active participant in synagogue and communtiy organizations. She participated in the design of the synagogue the Congregation built in Superior in the mid 1960's. In 1970, she and her husband retired to Sun City, Arizona. Mr. Popkin died in 1988. She is survived by her sister Ruth Dolgoff of Waterville, Ohio, and her cousins, Beti Kreiman of St. Paul, MN, and Joyce Levenson of Duluth, MN, her three children, Sam Popkin of La Jolla, CA, Barry Popkin of Chapel Hill, NC, Merle Wexler of Arlington, VA. and five grandchildren. Arrangements were entrusted to Regency Mortuary. The family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to Temple Beth Shalom, 12202 N. 101st Avenue, Sun City, AZ 85351.