William S. Cope, age 94, was born on September 4, 1913, in Salem, Ohio, and passed away on Sunday, November 25, 2007, in Hawaii. A retired Lt. Col. in the U.S. Air Force, he was a Pearl Harbor survivor. A graduate of Mount Union College, he proudly rooted for the 'Purple Raiders', attending football homecoming games in his 80's and 90's. He maintained close friendships with his Sigma Nu fraternity brothers. Bill joined the United States Army Air Corps in 1939. After graduating from flying school, he was assigned to Hickam Field, Hawaii, where he met his beloved wife Ruth. After a whirlwind courtship, they married on November 26, 1941. They were awakened the morning of December 7th to the sounds of Pearl Harbor being attacked, a mere two blocks from their apartment. Flying 45 missions in the Pacific, Bill sank a Japanese heavy cruiser at Guadalcanal and received the Distinguished Flying Cross. Following service in the Pacific, Bill was a part of the Berlin Airlift. Bill and Ruth settled in Fresno in 1958. Bill retired and Ruth founded a real estate firm. They were members of San Joaquin Country Club and lived life to the fullest, enjoying the company of many good friends. They moved back to Hawaii in 2003 and began volunteering at the Arizona Memorial. Following Ruth's death in 2005, Bill returned to Fresno. He missed his work at the Arizona so much that he returned to Hawaii six months ago. Bill volunteered four days a week, signing autographs and telling his story of Pearl Harbor to interested visitors. Bill suffered a massive stroke on Thanksgiving evening, surrounded by friends and flirting with the girls. 'Bad Billy', as he often called himself, enjoyed a long and colorful life. The family sincerely thanks those kind friends and strangers who looked at the pictures of him kissing Laura Bush, and listened to his war stories with interest and patience. One of ten children, Bill is survived by brothers Jim and Tom; sisters, Mary Lou Doyle and Jane Kitzmiller; and his daughters, Lindy Cope Rojas and her husband Ernie, and Candy Cope-Klingenberg and her husband, Ed Klingenberg. He was 'Kapuna' to his grandchildren, Christopher Jarecki and his wife Alicia Silverstone, J.J. Cobb and her husband, Marion Waggoner, Greg Klingenberg and his wife Jennifer, Jason Klingenberg and his wife Tricia, Mark Rojas, Nancy Rojas, and Katherine Rojas Kirby and her husband Murray; and his great-grandchildren, Jeremiah and Kane Waggoner, Gordon and Allison Kirby, Nicholas and Kayla Klingenberg, Hayley, Luke, Jake, and Courtney Klingenberg. Military Services will be held at the National Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl on Friday, February 1, 2008, where he will be inurned beside his dear Ruthie. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund, 1 Arizona Memorial Place, Honolulu, Hi. 96818.
Published in the Fresno Bee on 12/9/2007.