Maggie Popkin
Maggie Popkin, 17, of Doylestown, Pa., died Nov. 18, 2019. She was a lifelong resident of Doylestown.
Ms. Popkin was a student at George School in Newtown, Pa., where she would have been a high school senior.
From an early age, she enjoyed performing and musical theater, and for years practiced singing under the care of musical instructors and friends Bob Egan and Michael Traupman of New Hope, Pa. A little more than a month ago, she sang for the last time in public with a performance of “Second Hand White Baby Grand.”
She was fascinated with medicine and decided, at age 11, that one day she would become a neuro-ophthalmologist to help people with visual problems related to the nervous system. She was also a strong advocate for social justice and progressive values, and among her many interests were birding and nature walks; working at Vintage Alley in Doylestown; speaking French, Russian, Latin, and Hebrew; and living with a host family in Russia in eighth grade. After being diagnosed with glioblastoma, she developed a special bond with her neuro-oncologist, Dr. Jean Belasco, and raised $15,000 for pediatric brain cancer research this year; she walked in Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s “Parkway Run & Walk” fundraiser in Philadelphia in September, part of a group of cancer survivors, patients, and families who raised $1.5 million to fund pediatric cancer research and care at the hospital.
She is survived by her parents, Amy and Andy Popkin; her brother, Sam (significant other Lily Arnell); her sister, Emma; and her grandparents, Sharen Popkin and Lynn and Shelley Taylor.
A private family burial was held with arrangements by Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel, Ewing. A memorial service will be held at George School’s Meetinghouse, Newtown, on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 1 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia:
CHOP Foundation, P.O. Box 781352, Philadelphia, PA 19178 or online at chop.edu/pages/pediatric-brain-tumor-research (write “Designate this donation to Brain Tumor Research in memory of Maggie Popkin”).
comments