Virginia R. Kopach, Former Nurse And Guidance Counselor At Monmouth Regional, Dies At 71

Virginia R. Kopach, age 71 of Eatontown, died peacefully on Monday, May 4, 2015 at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch.

Born in Newark, she lived in Nutley with her parents John and Adelaide before moving to Eatontown 40 years ago.

Virginia was a graduate of Seton Hall University and Monmouth University. For 35 years she worked at Monmouth Regional High School, first as a school nurse and then as a guidance counselor, retiring in 2005.

Ginny was a parishioner of St. Jerome R.C. Church in West Long Branch and a member of the Spring Lake Garden Club. Ginny was a genealogy enthusiast, proud Seton Hall alum, die-hard Yankees fan, and eternal optimist. Her life’s greatest pleasure came from hosting Thanksgiving dinner for her extended family. She was equal parts instinctively compassionate and innately kind and relished her wide circle of friends.

She was predeceased by her husband of 38 years, George Kopach in May of 2014. Surviving are her son, Stephen Kopach and his wife Valerie; four daughters, Kathryn Kopach, Traci Fisher and her husband Boyd, Kelly Gropack, and Kara Kopach and her wife Jennifer Cardone; seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, May 11 at the Damiano Funeral Home, 191 Franklin Ave., (corner of Third Ave.) in Long Branch. Family and friends are asked to go directly to St. Jerome Church, 254 Wall St. in West Long Branch at 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday for a 10:15am Mass of Christian Burial. Entombment will be at St. Anne’s Mausoleum in Wall.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the American Cancer Society at https://donate.cancer.org/index to benefit cancer research and patient care or to the Virginia Kopach Memorial Scholarship at Monmouth University www.monmouth.edu/give to promote continued education in the field of Nursing. Please indicate scholarship name in the field labeled “other”. The family invites you to leave a letter of condolence through the web at www.damianofuneralhome.com.