WWII veteran showed pride -- You knew she was a
Marine,
Irish and had a passion for arts
Commercial Appeal, The (Memphis, TN) - Saturday, April 14, 2007
Author: Trey
Heath heath@commercialappeal.comShe helped raise money to memorialize women veterans and supported the arts in Memphis for decades.
Estelle Anne
Brassil Roper died of heart failure in her home in Germantown Tuesday. She was 87.
Born in
Cambridge, Mass., Mrs. Roper took pride in her
Irish heritage and her service in the
Marine Corps during World War II.
"Anyone whoever met her, she let them know that as soon as possible," said Timothy
Roper of
Chatham, Mass., one of Mrs. Roper 's seven children.
After her military service, Mrs. Roper attended college in
Boston before moving to Memphis, where she eventually received a bachelor of arts degree from
Ole Miss and a master's degree in teaching from Memphis State University.
Mrs. Roper taught at St. Ann Elementary School in
Bartlett from 1971-1986.
"When someone asked her why she had seven kids, she said she taught
English not math," said Margaret
Trainor of Germantown, one of Mrs. Roper 's three daughters.
"She had a great sense of humor and was probably one of the most educated woman I knew. God forbid you use improper grammar around her."
After leaving St. Ann, Mrs. Roper was hired as a private tutor by a Saudi
Arabian family whose eldest son was a patient at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
When she retired from teaching in 1992, Mrs. Roper began to pursue her other passions - travel and the arts.
"She lived life to the absolute fullest,"
Trainor said. "This woman, till December, was out two or three nights a week."
And when Mrs. Roper wasn't visiting her daughter Anne
Roper in Dublin, Ireland, she was attending plays and operas throughout Memphis.
"She was a very dynamic woman and she loved socializing,"
Trainor said. "She would go to the opening of a drawer. She loved everything in the arts in Memphis."
Mrs. Roper was a longtime member of the Woodruff-Fontaine House, the Friendship Force, Memphis
Brooks Museum,
Dixon Gallery and Gardens,
Heritage Group and a devotee of Theatre Memphis, among many others.
Mrs. Roper was the widow of Eugene
Roper Jr., longtime newsman and labor management consultant for
Shelby County government.
She leaves three other sons, Neil
Roper of Memphis, Kevin
Roper of Germantown and Brian
Roper of Memphis; another daughter, Erin
Roper of Memphis; her brother, Robert
Brassil of Charlotte, N.C.; and five grandchildren.
Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday at
Canale Funeral Home in Memphis. The family requests that any memorials be sent to a charity of the donor's choice.