Willaim Fox Cope

William Fox "Bill" Cope, November 12, 1925 - September 7, 2009.

Bill Cope was born in Atlantic City, NJ in 1925. He spent the first ten years of his life in Philadelphia, with his mother Florence, father Caleb, and older brothers Bob and Cal. It was after Bill's mother died, when he was ten years old, that he moved to Woodbury to live with his grandmother and great aunt. It was here that he found his true home and community, one he would embrace and enjoy for the rest of his life.

Bill's more than 60 years of hard work started at age 14, with a part-time job delivering magazines and newspapers. Bill's next three jobs all were located within eyesight of Broad and Cooper Streets, a story he'd tell many times in the decades ahead. The first was delivering telegrams and prescriptions for Sutton Drugstore, right on the corner. Next was a job at the Esso station on Cooper Street, where he'd do everything for customers' cars from changing their oil to giving them a good washing and filling them with gasoline. Bill also worked for the DAVIS FUNERAL HOME, where he enjoyed wearing a chauffeurs' cap and driving a Buick convertible with flowers to lead the funeral procession.

In 1943, Bill graduated with his class at Woodbury High School. More than 65 years later, he still enjoyed helping plan reunions for all his classmates from the 1940s. After graduation, Bill was excited to get a job working in the service department of Ace Motor Sales. He left Ace Motors to serve his country during World War II, by enlisting in the US Navy in February 1944. Most of his war years were spent at the US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He was honorably discharged in 1946. In 1950, Bill was called back to service in the Navy during the Korean War, and served two more years.

When Bill returned from his World War II Service, he joined his Dad in the family business, CW Cope Associates, a manufacturers' representatives firm located on Cooper Street . It turned out to be a great decision for both father and son. Bill represented manufacturers to plumbing supply warehouses in eastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Delaware, until he reluctantly retired in 1995 at the age of 70.

It was also not long after his Navy discharge that mutual friends introduced Bill to Kathryn Pime. They married in Woodbury in October 1947. Over the next 46 years, until her death in 1993, Bill and Kay lived in three different homes in Woodbury, on Curtis Avenue, American Street, and Drexel Street. There they raised their two children, David and Nancy.

One of the many accomplishments Bill was proud of was graduating from Rutgers University. He had attended night classes in Camden for seven years, while working full-time and raising his family. Bill also studied and became an instructor for 'The Dale Carnegie Course in Public Speaking and Human Relations'. Bill loved the 20 years he spent teaching students in South Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Another source of pride for Bill was earning his real estate license at the age of 70. For the next 12 years, he enjoyed working in real estate, and being associated with Art Duffield Realty.

Many people referred to Bill as 'Mr. Woodbury', and there as good reason for that. Bill was a charter member, past president, and life member of the Greater Woodbury Jaycees. He was a member of Woodbury Rotary until his death, and had served as secretary and president of the group. Bill was a director and past president of the Greater Woodbury Chamber of Commerce. He had a long-time association with Underwood-Memorial Hospital, serving as chairman of the Hospital Foundation, and also for many years as a member of the Hospital Ball Committee. Bill was a member of the Woodbury Board of Education and was on the Advisory Board for United Jersey Bank. He was also a member of Main Street Woodbury, The Growth and Revitalization of Woodbury, and the Woodbury Old City Restoration Committee. In 2000, Bill was proud to be the marshal for the Woodbury Fall Festival Parade.

Bill and Kay spent many years as members of Central Baptist Church. In recent years, Bill enjoyed being part of the congregation of the Woodbury Presbyterian Church. He was an avid tennis player and swimmer for many years, and also enjoyed spending time with all his friends at the Woodbury Country Club.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents, Caleb and Florence, and by his beloved wife, Kay. He is survived by his son David (Marianne), his daughter, Nancy (Richard Bostdorff), his grandsons Craig (Melissa) and Thomas Cope, and his great granddaughter, Mae Cope. The family is especially grateful for the friendship of Jean Crabtree, and would like to thank the fine folks at Woodbury Mews for their good care of Bill the past several months.

Visitation Sunday 3pm to 4:30pm at the DAVIS & WAGNER FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES 171 Delaware St. Woodbury, NJ. Services 11am Monday at the Presbyterian Church at Woodbury, 67 S Broad St. Woodbury, NJ. Interment Eglington Cemetery. Donations may be made to the Underwood Memorial Hospital Foundation 509 N Broad St. Woodbury, NJ 08096. Memories & condolences shared at daviswagner.com

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