Beatrice “Bea” Bobotek passed peacefully with family in Alexandria, Virginia on April 10, 2021. Bea was born Beatrice Sternberg in Louisville, Kentucky in 1927 into an extended family, including older siblings Bert, Maurice, and Dorothy, all of whom have predeceased her. After graduating from the University of Louisville in 1947, Bea moved to Chicago, where she earned a master’s degree in German literature in 1950 from Northwestern University. Bea commenced doctoral studies at Northwestern, but then transferred to the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, married and had three sons.
The family moved east to the Washington, DC area, planting roots in Alexandria, Virginia in the early 1960’s. While raising her family, Bea obtained a master’s degree in Library Sciences from the University of Maryland, worked for year as a librarian and editor for the Migrant Legal Action Program in Washington, DC, and later as the medical reference librarian at Mt. Vernon Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia, before her retirement in 2015.
Bea was well-known for her passionate love of opera, classical music, and especially the Swedish tenor, Jussi Bjoerling. Bea loved to watch tennis matches, and participated in countless community service and philanthropic endeavors. She will be remembered by her friends for her warmth, trust and goodwill, by the less-fortunate members of her community for her egalitarian sponsorship and generosity, and by her sons Mark, Alec, and Jamie, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren for her unwavering love and wise stewardship as the matriarch of four generations.
A celebration of Bea’s life will be held at a later date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to United Community, 7511 Fordson Rd., Alexandria VA 22306 https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E3464&id=122. Condolences may be sent to mark@goelderlaw.com, alex@bobotek.net, and/or james.bobotek@pillsburylaw.com.
