On the early morning of December 5, 2022, Anna O’Rourke (born Anna Frank) passed
away peacefully at her home in El Cerrito, California at the age of 87 years and 10
months. Anna was born to Nikolaus Frank and Margareta Gehl on St. Valentine’s Day,
1935, in the town of Klein Betchkereck, Romania. Anna was an only sister to brothers
Nick, Philip, John, and Matt, a loving mother to her four children James, Joseph, John,
and Monica, and a loving wife to Francis O’Rourke. Like many Europeans of her
generation, Anna experienced the horrors of WWII at an early age and had to flee her
home in Romania with her family as the Soviets moved in at the end of the war. After a
few years living in Passau, Germany, Anna and her family migrated to Ontario, Canada
where she came of age and met her first husband Josef. Anna ultimately settled in the
Bay Area of California where, after divorce, she raised her children and worked several
hard jobs, one at which she met the love of her life, Francis O’Rourke. Anna always took
an interest in interior decorating and had a real talent for creating a regal space on a
shoestring budget. She loved the beauty of nature and enjoyed long hikes and daily walks
through the woods of Paradise California with her many beloved pet dogs through the
years. She was the epitome of a “gentle soul,” always greeting people with her soft voice
and sly-but-infectious smile, making the people around her feel welcomed and at ease.
Her warmth and spirit will surely be carried on in the hearts of all those who had the
privilege to know her. A private family service will be held for Anna as she returns to her
late husband Francis at Glen Oaks Memorial Park in Chico, California.
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