Anita B. Berkowitz, 104, passed away on Friday, March 23, 2012, at Village Shalom.

Graveside services were held on Tuesday, March 28,, at Adath Joseph Cemetery in St. Joseph, Mo. A memorial service was to be held Wednesday, March 29, at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, followed by a reception. The family suggests contributions to The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah Rabbis’ Discretionary Fund and/or Brandeis University Library Fund.

Anita was born on Thursday, Sept. 12, 1907, to Charles Coleman and Ruth Esther Brady of St. Joseph. She attended the University of Illinois-Champaign where she received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees. She met Abraham Berkowitz at Hillel’s first house at the university and they were married on March 29, 1931. Abraham preceded Anita in death in 1961.

Abraham and Anita lived in Mattoon, Ill., where they raised their two sons and Anita gave her energies and volunteered as president of the Central Illinois Council of B’nai B’rith Women and helped establish the Mattoon Chapter. She was on the board of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, regional board member of American Association of University Women and actively engaged in county and statewide Democratic Women’s Clubs.

She and Abraham moved to Kansas City, Mo., in 1958. Anita taught at Southwest High in the Kansas City Public School District for more than 20 years until she retired. A generous volunteer, Anita tutored in her home for 13 years, teaching English to Vietnamese, Spanish and Russian immigrants.

Anita was an early worldwide traveler and photographer, having visited more than 60 countries on every continent except Antarctica. She felt that through her travels, the knowledge and experiences she gained were invaluable to her and her students.

She volunteered at The Nelson-Atkins Art Gallery, Brandeis University Annual Book Sale, The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah and its Sisterhood.

Anita was a life member of Brandeis University National Women’s Committee and a benefactor of Brandeis Libraries, a life and honorary member of the American Association of University Women, National Council of Jewish Women and Hadassah, and a member of Friends of the Library of UMKC, Truman Medical Auxiliary, Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, The Nelson-Atkins Museum, Nelson Museum Friends of Art and Heart of America Shakespeare Festival.

Anita was a superb cook and receiver of culinary prizes in national publications.

Survivors include two sons and a daughter-in-law, Nathaniel C. Berkowitz and wife Myra of Sausalito, Calif., and Edward H. Berkowitz, Ph.D, of Palo Alto, Calif.; her sister, Gertrude B. Kaufman of Silver Spring, Md.; four grandchildren, Ethan Berkowitz of Anchorage, Alaska, Zachary Berkowitz of San Francisco, Ruth Berkowitz of Hood River, Ore., and Michael Berkowitz of Portland, Maine; and seven great-grandchildren.

Online condolences may be shared at www.louismemorialchapel.com.