Nashua lost one of its great trailblazers last week with the passing of Angeline "Angie" Kopka, a 100-year-old spitfire who shattered glass ceilings in New Hampshire’s real estate industry and showed a passion for civics and state government only seen in patriotic films from Hollywood’s Golden Age.

She was called a pioneer and a dedicated worker, and developed a well-earned reputation for her political independence as she served as the oldest legislator in the country.

Kopka died Friday, Oct. 28, at her Nashua home.

Born four years before women were allowed to vote, Kopka would become a pivotal force in the Nashua Democratic City Committee. She represented Ward 5 for four terms and Ward 1 from 2012-14, finally retiring at age 98. She won her first race in 2002.

"There was an opening, and it was just a natural instinct," Kopka told The Telegraph in 2008. "I ran because I felt a need to help. It never entered my mind to retire."

But public service was not the only path Kopka took. She served as matriarch of one of the region’s most prominent real estate families that was crucial to commercial and residential development in the city.

In 1953, she founded one of the first female-run real estate offices in Nashua. She ran Kopka Real Estate for a half-century, became the first New Englander to obtain a lifetime seat on the National Board of Realtors and was honored throughout the years in her industry, including the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Realtors and a stint as the national president of the Women’s Council of Realtors.

Just a few weeks after her 100th birthday in April, U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster celebrated the distinguished career of Kopka, calling her a beloved member of the Nashua community.

"Angie not only had a successful career, but has enjoyed a rich personal life," Kuster said, calling her one of New Hampshire’s most engaged citizens.

Kopka’s commitment to her community and to public service is seen in only a handful of people every generation. And she made the most of her time, inspiring her children, grandchildren and a dozen great-grandchildren to work hard and dedicate time to improve their neighborhoods.

Her legacy will live on in every young girl breaking through in a male-dominated field and in every lawmaker fighting for the principles of democracy, even if they’re about to receive their centenarian card.

Newsletter