Ann Opalak Bachmann, 94, formerly of Winter Park, Maitland, and Winter Springs, FL, passed away on September 5, 2024. Ann was born in Waterbury, CT on July 4th, 1930, and liked to refer to herself as a Connecticut Yankee born on the 4th of July.
Ann graduated from Crosby High School in Waterbury, CT in 1948, and graduated with a four-year B.A. in Slavic Studies and English from the University of Alabama in only 3 years, in June 1951 with Phi Beta Kappa honors.
Ann then began work on a Master’s degree in Spanish at the University of Alabama in September 1952, completed it 9 months later, and graduated with her Master’s degree in June 1953.
Ann began her doctoral studies at Florida State University in September 1954 to earn a Ph.D. in Spanish. She met her future husband, Jon Bachmann (who was from Reykjavik, Iceland) on New Year’s Day, 1955, in NYC, when they happened to share a car ride back to FSU in Tallahassee. Ann and Jon got married 5 months later on May 31, 1955. On their third wedding anniversary, May 31, 1958, Ann received her Ph.D. at FSU.
Ann was part of the original teaching faculty at FTU when it opened in the Fall of 1968, and the name was changed to UCF a few years later. Ann joined the faculty of Seminole Community College in January 1974, and taught Spanish, Russian, and French for the next 24+ years until she retired in July 1998. She also occasionally taught courses in Gaining Word Power and English as a second language.
Ann stayed active in retirement with a large circle of friends, attending weekly learning programs at LIFE at UCF (Learning Institute for Elders) and sometimes served as the keynote lecturer on various subjects. She also frequently participated in a current and cultural events discussion group called The University Club which held their meetings in Winter Park. Ann also organized and led two trips to the USSR, the Soviet Union during the Cold War in 1981 and 1983 with over 25 people participating in each trip. In 1985, Ann organized and led a trip to China for 32 people, and stood on the Great Wall of China on her 4th of July birthday.
Ann is survived by her three sons and their wives, along with seven grandchildren: Gregory & Patrice, and their daughters Kristine Sheets and Kathleen DeMarzio; Stephen & Kim, and their sons Jon, Gunnar, and Kitt; Andrew & Maria and their twins Erik and Isabel. Ann is also survived by a younger sister, Dorothy Foell. Ann was preceded in death by her older brother John Opalak, and by an older sister Helen Boryk.
Funeral services will be held at Baldwin Fairchild Funeral Home from 11:30-12:00 with Visitation from 10:30-11:30 am, on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, located at 501 E. Mitchell Hammock Rd, Oviedo, FL 32765.
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