Anna Lake

Anna Peltin Lake of Bethesda, Maryland, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, great aunt, cousin, colleague and dear friend to many, passed away April 13, 2017 at the age of 86.
Anna was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and Trenton, NJ. One of five children born to the late Bendit and Jenny Peltin, her roots and robust energy for life were New York based. She was instrumental in the migration of her extended family from New York to the Washington DC Metro area.She was a force. She leaned into life and grabbed as many experiences as her two arms would hold.Family, family, family. Her loving husband of a remarkable 67 years, Harold Lake, survives her. Together they raised, loved and nurtured four boys: Gary (predeceased 1973), Steven, Bradley and Richard. They gave their children vast opportunities for education, culture, and travel. Anna instilled in each one of them a drive to reach their full potential and pursue their passions.She adored her eight grandchildren: Gregory, Ryan, Devin, Jillian, Marisa, Ben, Gabriel and Ellie. She loved her daughters-in- law Maureen and Lisa, and son-in-law William. She treasures her two wonderful sisters Shirley and Sandee and her brother Izzy (predeceased) and their amazing children and families. Another beloved brother, Norman, died in childhood. She loved her in-laws, Jerry and Freda Lake, and their children and families. Her kitchen was open to all - family was love and she wanted to feed you (and feed you...)Anna and Harold travelled the world - Israel, China, most of Europe, and throughout the United States. These adventures fed her deep desire to learn and explore different cultures and to enrich her life.
Anna was a psychotherapist for close to 40 years. She leaned into life with a thirst for knowledge. While raising school aged children she went to University of Maryland in Baltimore, first to get her bachelor's degree and then her masters in clinical social work, where she graduated with honors.
She cut her teeth as a social worker in the neonatal unit at Washington Hospital Center working with premature infants and their families. She later worked at Georgetown University as a mental health counselor and she built a successful private practice. She continued to challenge herself to lifelong learning, hungry to acquire knowledge for use in her work with her patients.
Her patients' lives often left her marveling at our human capacity for resilience and growth. She so valued being a part of their journey in self-discovery. She loved being a therapist and being involved with the therapy community. The Washington School of Psychiatry became and remained for many years an extremely important place for her, a second home, to learn, train and teach. It was here she was involved in helping to create their impressive Aging Program.
At 70 she felt called to the Torah and completed her Bat Mitzvah at Washington Hebrew Congregation.Anna touched and inspired many lives in her many roles. The force with which she embraced life lives on in many that knew her. She loved fiercely, was loved in return and will be deeply missed.

Funeral Services will be held at Washington Hebrew Congregation Sunday, April 16, 2017 at 10am with interment to follow at King David Cemetery, in Falls Church, VA. Family will be observing Shiva at Fox Hill Residences at 8300 Burdette Road, Bethesda, MD, 20817: Sunday, April 16 1;00pm-8;00pm; Monday, April 17 5:30pm-9:00pm; Tuesday, April 18 4:00pm-9:00pm.
Donations in her memory can be made to the Gary Lee Lake Memorial Fund at University of Maryland.

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Temple Service

APR 16. 10:00 AM

Washington Hebrew Congregation
3935 Macomb St. NW
Washington, DC, 20016