by Ernice Gilbert (VI Consortium) A Pennsylvania woman who was reported missing more than 30 years ago was found in Puerto Rico last week, according to local authorities. The woman was declared dead seven years after her disappearance.
The woman, identified as 83-year-old Patricia Kopta, wandered through northern Puerto Rico after leaving behind her husband and siblings. In 1999, she was taken into an adult care home in PR after being determined to be a person in need, according to details of the matter announced in Ross Township, Pennsylvania last week during a press conference (via the Associated Press).
Her husband, Bob Kopta, and sister, 78-year-old Gloria Smith provided details about Ms. Kopta’s life during the press conference.
Ms. Kopta had been nicknamed “The Sparrow” because of her slight build, according to the AP. In her youthful years, she was a model and dance instructor and a straight-A student. After graduation, she worked in finance at a Pittsburgh plate glass company and would attend weekly ballroom dancing events, her family said.
Puerto Rico was a favorite vacationing spot for Ms. Kopta, said her sister. “She just loved the ocean, the beach, the warm sunshine,” Ms. Smith told the AP.
