Daily Press (Newport News, VA) - September 18, 1998
NEWPORT NEWS - Wesley Randolph Cofer Jr., died at Riverside Medical Center onWednesday, Sept. 16, 1998.
He was born in Newport News and attended public schools there. After graduating from Newport News High School in 1938, he went to Philadelphia, Pa., and attended Drexel University for four years majoring in engineering.
When the United States declared war in 1941, Mr. Cofer immediately volunteered for military service. He entered the Army Air Corps at Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Ala., as a navigator/pilot and was ordered to Rosecrans Field, St. Joseph, Mo., where he met and married Mary Jane Wright, the daughter of Gordon D. Wright, M.D., and Ida Nelson Wright, on Feb. 7, 1943.
After surviving three airplane crashes, he was honorably discharged from military service in 1945.
He attended the College of William and Mary, receiving his B.A., M.Ed. and J.D. degrees. He also taught constitutional law at the college. He practiced law in Williamsburg several years with his good friend, John Hollis.
In 1950, he accepted a position in Phoebus with Ross Kearney Sr. as a junior partner. Later Eugene M. Jordan joined the firm and Cofer and Jordan were partners for 17 years. In 1969, the Hampton Bar Association formed a committee to request that he accept a position as district court judge.
He became chief judge of the Criminal and Civil Court but never forgot his love of teaching. In addition to the College of William and Mary, he was an associate professor at George Washington University and Christopher Newport University. He retired in 1975 for health reasons.
His civic activities included many leadership roles: president, the Hampton Bar Association several times; president of the Hampton Rotary Club and Paul Harris Fellow; exalted ruler of the Elks Lodge of Hampton; department (state) commander of the American Legion; 17-year member and chairman of the Hampton Planning Commission; senior warden of Emmanuel Episcopal Church (Hampton); past member of the Governor's Economics Commission; director of the Tidewater Automobile Association; 32nd-dEgree Mason, (Scottish Rite); and longtime member of James River Country Club.
Surviving him are his wife of 55 years, Mary Jane, their children: Wesley R. Cofer III, Glenna Cofer Duff, and four grandchildren, as well as a sister, Mrs. Marjorie C. Skiles of Jacksonville, Fla.
Visitation and viewing are at Amory Funeral Home, Yorktown, at 7 p.m. Friday. The funeral will be held at Grace Episcopal Church, Yorktown, at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, with interment following in Grace Church Cemetery.
Expressions of sympathy may be made to one's favorite charity.
Amory Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
NEWPORT NEWS - Wesley Randolph Cofer Jr., died at Riverside Medical Center onWednesday, Sept. 16, 1998.
He was born in Newport News and attended public schools there. After graduating from Newport News High School in 1938, he went to Philadelphia, Pa., and attended Drexel University for four years majoring in engineering.
When the United States declared war in 1941, Mr. Cofer immediately volunteered for military service. He entered the Army Air Corps at Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Ala., as a navigator/pilot and was ordered to Rosecrans Field, St. Joseph, Mo., where he met and married Mary Jane Wright, the daughter of Gordon D. Wright, M.D., and Ida Nelson Wright, on Feb. 7, 1943.
After surviving three airplane crashes, he was honorably discharged from military service in 1945.
He attended the College of William and Mary, receiving his B.A., M.Ed. and J.D. degrees. He also taught constitutional law at the college. He practiced law in Williamsburg several years with his good friend, John Hollis.
In 1950, he accepted a position in Phoebus with Ross Kearney Sr. as a junior partner. Later Eugene M. Jordan joined the firm and Cofer and Jordan were partners for 17 years. In 1969, the Hampton Bar Association formed a committee to request that he accept a position as district court judge.
He became chief judge of the Criminal and Civil Court but never forgot his love of teaching. In addition to the College of William and Mary, he was an associate professor at George Washington University and Christopher Newport University. He retired in 1975 for health reasons.
His civic activities included many leadership roles: president, the Hampton Bar Association several times; president of the Hampton Rotary Club and Paul Harris Fellow; exalted ruler of the Elks Lodge of Hampton; department (state) commander of the American Legion; 17-year member and chairman of the Hampton Planning Commission; senior warden of Emmanuel Episcopal Church (Hampton); past member of the Governor's Economics Commission; director of the Tidewater Automobile Association; 32nd-dEgree Mason, (Scottish Rite); and longtime member of James River Country Club.
Surviving him are his wife of 55 years, Mary Jane, their children: Wesley R. Cofer III, Glenna Cofer Duff, and four grandchildren, as well as a sister, Mrs. Marjorie C. Skiles of Jacksonville, Fla.
Visitation and viewing are at Amory Funeral Home, Yorktown, at 7 p.m. Friday. The funeral will be held at Grace Episcopal Church, Yorktown, at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, with interment following in Grace Church Cemetery.
Expressions of sympathy may be made to one's favorite charity.
Amory Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Daily Press (Newport News, VA) - September 18, 1998
NEWPORT NEWS - Wesley Randolph Cofer Jr., died at Riverside Medical Center onWednesday, Sept. 16, 1998.
He was born in Newport News and attended public schools there. After graduating from Newport News High School in 1938, he went to Philadelphia, Pa., and attended Drexel University for four years majoring in engineering.
When the United States declared war in 1941, Mr. Cofer immediately volunteered for military service. He entered the Army Air Corps at Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Ala., as a navigator/pilot and was ordered to Rosecrans Field, St. Joseph, Mo., where he met and married Mary Jane Wright, the daughter of Gordon D. Wright, M.D., and Ida Nelson Wright, on Feb. 7, 1943.
After surviving three airplane crashes, he was honorably discharged from military service in 1945.
He attended the College of William and Mary, receiving his B.A., M.Ed. and J.D. degrees. He also taught constitutional law at the college. He practiced law in Williamsburg several years with his good friend, John Hollis.
In 1950, he accepted a position in Phoebus with Ross Kearney Sr. as a junior partner. Later Eugene M. Jordan joined the firm and Cofer and Jordan were partners for 17 years. In 1969, the Hampton Bar Association formed a committee to request that he accept a position as district court judge.
He became chief judge of the Criminal and Civil Court but never forgot his love of teaching. In addition to the College of William and Mary, he was an associate professor at George Washington University and Christopher Newport University. He retired in 1975 for health reasons.
His civic activities included many leadership roles: president, the Hampton Bar Association several times; president of the Hampton Rotary Club and Paul Harris Fellow; exalted ruler of the Elks Lodge of Hampton; department (state) commander of the American Legion; 17-year member and chairman of the Hampton Planning Commission; senior warden of Emmanuel Episcopal Church (Hampton); past member of the Governor's Economics Commission; director of the Tidewater Automobile Association; 32nd-dEgree Mason, (Scottish Rite); and longtime member of James River Country Club.
Surviving him are his wife of 55 years, Mary Jane, their children: Wesley R. Cofer III, Glenna Cofer Duff, and four grandchildren, as well as a sister, Mrs. Marjorie C. Skiles of Jacksonville, Fla.
Visitation and viewing are at Amory Funeral Home, Yorktown, at 7 p.m. Friday. The funeral will be held at Grace Episcopal Church, Yorktown, at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, with interment following in Grace Church Cemetery.
Expressions of sympathy may be made to one's favorite charity.
Amory Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
NEWPORT NEWS - Wesley Randolph Cofer Jr., died at Riverside Medical Center onWednesday, Sept. 16, 1998.
He was born in Newport News and attended public schools there. After graduating from Newport News High School in 1938, he went to Philadelphia, Pa., and attended Drexel University for four years majoring in engineering.
When the United States declared war in 1941, Mr. Cofer immediately volunteered for military service. He entered the Army Air Corps at Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Ala., as a navigator/pilot and was ordered to Rosecrans Field, St. Joseph, Mo., where he met and married Mary Jane Wright, the daughter of Gordon D. Wright, M.D., and Ida Nelson Wright, on Feb. 7, 1943.
After surviving three airplane crashes, he was honorably discharged from military service in 1945.
He attended the College of William and Mary, receiving his B.A., M.Ed. and J.D. degrees. He also taught constitutional law at the college. He practiced law in Williamsburg several years with his good friend, John Hollis.
In 1950, he accepted a position in Phoebus with Ross Kearney Sr. as a junior partner. Later Eugene M. Jordan joined the firm and Cofer and Jordan were partners for 17 years. In 1969, the Hampton Bar Association formed a committee to request that he accept a position as district court judge.
He became chief judge of the Criminal and Civil Court but never forgot his love of teaching. In addition to the College of William and Mary, he was an associate professor at George Washington University and Christopher Newport University. He retired in 1975 for health reasons.
His civic activities included many leadership roles: president, the Hampton Bar Association several times; president of the Hampton Rotary Club and Paul Harris Fellow; exalted ruler of the Elks Lodge of Hampton; department (state) commander of the American Legion; 17-year member and chairman of the Hampton Planning Commission; senior warden of Emmanuel Episcopal Church (Hampton); past member of the Governor's Economics Commission; director of the Tidewater Automobile Association; 32nd-dEgree Mason, (Scottish Rite); and longtime member of James River Country Club.
Surviving him are his wife of 55 years, Mary Jane, their children: Wesley R. Cofer III, Glenna Cofer Duff, and four grandchildren, as well as a sister, Mrs. Marjorie C. Skiles of Jacksonville, Fla.
Visitation and viewing are at Amory Funeral Home, Yorktown, at 7 p.m. Friday. The funeral will be held at Grace Episcopal Church, Yorktown, at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, with interment following in Grace Church Cemetery.
Expressions of sympathy may be made to one's favorite charity.
Amory Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
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