Dorothy Wolpert

Dorothy’s astonishing life force and joie de vivre left an imprint on everyone who knew her. She was one of those rare people who seemed to pack many lifetimes into her 91 years. 

 

Dorothy Guberman was raised in New York alongside her brother, Mel, and sister, Gloria, and remained a New Yorker at heart throughout her whole life. As a freshman at City College, she met Stanley Wolpert, a brilliant student. They fell in love and married in 1953. His career as a novelist and Indian historian brought them to UCLA in 1959, where Stanley became Chair of the Department of History at UCLA and taught for over six decades.

 

Dorothy earned her degree from UCLA Law in 1976 while raising two teenage sons, Daniel and Adam. She co-founded the highly regarded law firm, Bird Marella, in 1981. Her remarkable legal career spanned five decades, infused with landmark cases upholding equality and social justice. Her exceptional work was recognized by Best Lawyers in America for more than ten years, and she received UCLA Law’s Trailblazers Lifetime Achievement Award, the ACLU Humanitarian Award, and the U. Serve LA Award for her services to Los Angeles's poorest and most vulnerable residents. UCLA Law established the Dorothy and Stanley Wolpert Public Interest Law Fellowship in their honor.

 

A firm believer in public service, Dorothy chaired her law firm's Pro Bono Committee and served as a board member and pro bono litigator with the Inner City Law Center. 

 

She was equally devoted to the arts. During her early years in LA, she was a docent at the LA County Museum of Art and wrote several catalogues for their exhibitions. Later, she served as Board Chair of the Fountain Theatre from 2013 to 2025, and was instrumental in expanding its board and national profile. In the words of Artistic Director Emeritus Stephen Sachs: "Dorothy's significant influence on the Fountain Theatre, and the countless lives she enhanced through its programming, are beyond measure."

 

She also supported a range of musical and fine arts institutions and was a devoted patron and lover of opera.

 

Above all, Dorothy placed relationships first. She was wise, giving, and loving, with an enduring curiosity about culture, language, literature, nature, and food. A wonderful host, she delighted her many friends with dinner parties full of great food, warmth, and conversation. An avid traveler, Dorothy especially loved London, where she and Stanley went to the theatre nightly; Italy, for its classical beauty and cuisine; and she often reflected on the powerful experience of her early years living in India.

 

Stanley Wolpert passed away in 2019 at the age of 91. 

 

Dorothy died peacefully in her cherished house, under a full moon, on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. In her final weeks, she often spoke of feeling privileged to have lived such a long, healthy, interesting, and meaningful life. She will be remembered for her remarkable bright spirit, fierce intellect, wit, grit, generosity, and deep integrity.

 

Dorothy was predeceased by her husband of 65 years, and is survived by her two sons, Daniel (Debra Bell) and Adam (Katy Mamen); three grandchildren, Sam (Emily), Max (Sarah Hubbard) and Sabine; two great-grandchildren, Jonah and Wes; and a wide circle of family and close friends. She would be pleased to know that no AI was employed in the writing of this entry.