Anne Llewellyn (Gropp) Meglis

Anne Llewellyn Meglis of Greenbelt, MD died September 2, 2020 after a brief illness. She was born April 25, 1940 in New Orleans, LA to Arthur E. and Dorothy M. Gropp.

Anne spent her early childhood, from 1942 until 1950, with her parents in Montevideo, Uruguay, where her father established the first American library, the Biblioteca Artigas-Washington. Those early experiences of Latin American culture and language — mixed with Anne’s love of books, reading, and history — would shape her career and life.

The family returned to the US in 1950, settling in Washington, DC. Anne graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1958. She began her college studies in History at Douglass College (Rutgers University) and completed her Bachelors in Urban Studies at the University of Maryland (Class of 1973). She earned her Masters in Library Science from The Catholic University of America in 1976. Anne held several librarian positions within the DC government and wrote a book, A Bibliographic Tour of Washington, DC. She spent the latter part of her career, from 1993 until her retirement in 2008, as Law Librarian for the Corporation Counsel of Washington, DC.

Marriage and motherhood diverted Anne from her studies in the 1960s. She was a creative parent and helped establish a local Montessori school for the community. Following her divorce in 1970, Anne relocated her family to Greenbelt, MD where she remained until her passing.

In Greenbelt, Anne shared her passion for the town’s history, one of three completed 1930s “New Deal” planned communities, while she served as a docent at the Greenbelt Museum. She loved Art Deco design and architecture and traveled with friends and family to New York City regularly. She also loved opera and organized group trips to follow her favorite tenor’s performances. She was conversational in four languages and was still completely fluent in Spanish. Her passion during her retirement was recapping and translating Spanish telenovelas into English for “Caray, Caray!” her beloved online blog community.

Anne was a devoted daughter, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, friend, and ‘adopted’ mother to many who considered her family. Anne made new friends everywhere and a trio of friends who met in Library School remained lifelong friends. Although she was small in stature, she had a huge heart and gave her time generously. The nurturing of these relationships, especially long-distance, frequently led to visits across the globe. She was the driving force behind family adventures, including return trips to her birthplace, New Orleans, and Montevideo. Her bright smile, effervescent personality, love of languages and culture, generosity, and fearless pursuit of a joyful life set a living example for those whose lives she touched.

She is survived by her son Andrew Jeffrey Meglis (wife Barbara) of Acton, MA; daughter Irene Llewellyn Meglis (husband Geoff Halferdahl) of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; grandchildren Grant Withington Meglis (wife Sahyli) of Minneapolis, MN and Peter Withington Meglis of San Francisco, CA; cousin Otis Molz of Deerfield, KS; former husband Andrew John Meglis, and extended family in the US and Europe.

Interment will be private. Donations may be made in her name to the Friends of the Greenbelt Museum (greenbeltmuseum.org) and the Metropolitan Opera Guild (metguild.org).