Walda Szopa

Walda Szopa, 81, of Harwich, MA, died peacefully on Monday, January 15, 2018 at Broadreach Healthcare, Chatham, MA, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.
Born in Manchester, NH on May 12, 1936, she was the daughter of Stanley E. and Blanche (Kuliga) Szopa.
She grew up in Manchester, NH where she graduated from Central High School in 1954. In 1958 she earned a Bachelor's Degree in early childhood education from Plymouth Teachers College, now Plymouth State College, and later went on to receive a Masters degree in elementary education from the University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CT.
Walda taught in the Norwalk, CT school system for 35 years where she was much respected by her students, their parents and her colleagues. She also taught for the American Dependent Schools in Verdun, France and in 1969 took a yearlong sabbatical to travel the world and study elementary schools and their special programs. She visited schools in Samoa and the Pacific Islands, Australia, India, Indonesia and England, as well as many other countries. She continued her world travels until her illness would not permit it.
Walda's love for reading, knitting, art and travel made for a very interesting life. Her home, which was filled with exotic artifacts she brought back from her many travels, was a testament to her appreciation of different cultures. She will be missed by her family members and friends.
She is survived by her brother, Dr. Ronald F. Szopa and his wife Jacqueline of Manchester, NH; her niece, Alia S. Ritchey, Esq. and husband Scott D. Ritchey, Esq., and two grand nephews, Hunter and Donovan Ritchey all of Duluth, GA. She also leaves a long time friend and travel companion, Louise Archambault of Harwich Port, MA with whom she shared so many wonderful adventures.
A funeral mass was celebrated on Friday, January 19, 2018 at Holy Trinity Cathedral, 166 Pearl St., Manchester, NH. Donations in her memory may be made to: The Michael J. Fox Foundation, PO Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014 (www.michaeljfox.org/donate), or Holy Trinity Cathedral, 166 Pearl St., Manchester, NH 03104.