Maria Zor Kopelman, age 88 years, of Bridgewater Township, NJ, died peacefully on Sunday, September 26, 2021 at Bridgeway Care Center, Bridgewater, NJ.

Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, December 19, 1932, daughter of the late Zarachas and Berta Aronson Zor,  Maria emigrated to the United States in 1964, one year after her husband had come to make a new life for her and then couple’s two young sons.

Settling initially in Brooklyn and raising her family in Queens, NY, Maria had resided in Bridgewater for the past five years, having formerly lived in Hollywood, FL for twenty years.

With a heart that was designed for helping others, Maria married the love of her life, Nicolas Kopelman in Uruguay, and they spent sixty-one amazing years as husband and wife, separated only by his death in 2018. Their bond was so strong, that Maria passed away in the same room and bed that her husband did, and she surely was guided to a place of peace by his loving hands.

It was at Maria’s urging that the couple made plans to start a new life for their family in the United States. With Nicolas coming in 1963 to get settled, Maria made the trip by herself in 1964 with her sons, Ralph being only three at the time, and Leo just having turned one. It was a long trip but one that Maria recounted often to her children and grandchildren in an effort to show them that your dreams must be followed in order to see them to fruition.

In the United States, she became a bookkeeper for Nicolas’s small businesses and was extremely savvy in running both a household and the businesses. Maria and Nicolas set an example for their family of just what hard work and genuine love could accomplish.

Having many hobbies, she will be forever remembered by her amazing cooking skills that ranged from traditional Jewish meals, to Spanish meals, to whatever culture she was learning about at the time; the one consistent thing was that there was always enough to feed an army!

Though saddened by her passing, Maria’s family takes heart in knowing that Maria and Nicolas are together agin, guiding them all with the light of love that is eternal.

Surviving are two sons and daughters-in-law, Ralph and Marianne Kopelman and Leonardo and Debbie Kopelman; two grandchildren, David Kopelman and Marissa and her husband, Mathew Mallet; a brother and sister-in-law, Mark and Rosa Zaras; a brother-in-law, Moises Kopelman; her nieces, Rosa Yevoli and Fanny McCabe; her Bridgeway Care Center family; and many extended family and friends.

The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to everyone at Bridgeway Care Center for their support over the past five years.

Graveside funeral services officiated by Cantor Kathy Gohr will take place on Thursday, September 30, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. in the Flemington Jewish Community Cemetery, 67 Capner Street, Flemington, NJ 08822 under the care and direction of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ. Everyone is encouraged to meet directly at the cemetery beginning at 2:15 p.m. on Thursday.

You are encouraged to visit Maria’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of her life.

Memorial contributions in her honor may be made to the American Diabetes Association, via mail to P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA  22116-7023 or online by clicking HERE.

Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”