Memorial for Annemarie Roeper

A celebration of her life at The Roeper School

On August 25, 2012, the Roeper community gathered to celebrate the life of Annemarie Roeper on the Bloomfield Hills campus of the school she co-founded with her husband, George Roeper. Alumni, faculty and staff both former and present, parents and students honored her long life of accomplishments with music, poignant memories, and a play celebrating her insights and her uncanny likeness to Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince. After the service and a reception, many gathered in the Children’s Library for Story Time, a chance for anyone to share a memory or a story. It was truly an end of an era to lose Annemarie, who had remained active with the school under the very end of her life. Her son, Peter Roeper, shared a story that exemplified this endlessly curious and engaged woman. Only days from her passing on May 11, she was dozing while Peter sat by her bedside.  She opened her eyes and asked, “Which do you think is more important, questions or answers?” A refugee from the Nazi regime, forced to make a new life in a new language in a new country, Annemarie never lost her sense of inquiry, caring, or forward momentum. 

Annemarie Roeper Memorial Service, August 25, 2012

Stories Shared about Annemarie Roeper, August 25, 2012

Commemorative Magazine for Annemarie Roeper’s Memorial

Memorial for George Roeper

A gathering was held at The Roeper School

A service to celebrate the life of George Roeper was held on the Bloomfield Hills campus in the outdoor space where George had overseen so many graduation ceremonies. Sunday, September 20, 1992, was a beautiful autumn day.  Students, alumni, faculty and friends contributed to a heartfelt event of music and memories. Annemarie and their three children attended, along with nearly 600 attendees — an indication of how many people cared about this gentle man who had been gone from the area for almost a decade. This collection of newspaper articles, editorials, and obituaries, as well as broad coverage on the local TV news, give a hint of George’s impact as an educator, a leader, and a friend.