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1927 Walter 2020

Walter Cope

November 16, 1927 — March 17, 2020

Walter Brown Cope peacefully went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 after a lifetime of loving and caring for others. Born November 16, 1927, near Cullowhee, North Carolina, he was the son of the late Walter Vernon Cope and Elva Sherrill Cope. Walter lived in his native Jackson County all the days of his youth, devoting himself to school, helping with the animals that he loved like pets on his grandfather's farm and exploring the county's miles of trout streams in his teenage years. He graduated from Sylva Central High School in 1944, then matriculated in nearby Western Carolina University. He interrupted his studies at the half-way point to serve in the U. S. Army at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He returned to Western Carolina and graduated in 1950. Walter moved to the regional metropolis of Asheville and landed his first job with the Internal Revenue Service. In 1955, he married his first wife, Florence Alouise Dunn, the mother of his two sons, Philip Chumley Cope and James Walter Cope. The family moved successively to Buena Vista, Virginia; Tryon, North Carolina; Abbeville, South Carolina; and Spartanburg, South Carolina, following Walter's employment and transfers within the textile industry. Milliken was his primary employer from 1959 - 1994. In 1997, Walter married Hilda Tennyson Goley of Spartanburg County. They were constant and loving companions, separated by Hilda's death in 2018. Walter's passions were spending time with his family, gardening, exploring the woods and region with his sons, reading, working on crossword puzzles, and volunteering at his church - particularly with Mobile Meals and as an usher for church events. Walter was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Spartanburg for 52 years. He was recently recognized for his lifetime of service there. Walter was a kind, loving, patient person who found great joy in connecting with people and was always interested in serving and helping others. His servant heart and love for God made him a true Christian example to all who knew him. He had a wonderful memory of people and places even up to the last day of his life. He was a wonderful person and his family and friends will miss him dearly. Walter was predeceased by his son, James Walter Cope; his brother, William Sherrill Cope; and his wife, Hilda Tennyson Cope. Walter is survived by his son, Chumley, his wife Joan, and their children: Caroline Cope Khoury and her husband Khal Khoury of Greenville, Julian Cope of Memphis, Tennessee, Jonathan Cope, and Florence Rose Cope; his daughter-in-law, Sue Cope of Weaverville, North Carolina; grandchildren, Catherine Cope Craig and TJ Kampka, and their children: Kali, Elayna, Star, and Madison of Leicester, North Carolina, and James Walter Cope II, his wife Yuki, and their son Aiden of Black Mountain, North Carolina; many other extended family members; Hilda's children Cathy Shockley of Spartanburg and Lauren Hammond and her husband Scott of Charleston as well as their children and grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at a later date at First Presbyterian Church, Spartanburg. No flowers please. In lieu of flowers, memorials and gifts in Walter's honor may be made to Habitat for Humanity, 2270 South Pine Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302; Mobile Meals Service, PO Box 461, Spartanburg, SC 29304; and First Presbyterian Church, 393 East Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302. Floyd's North Church Street Chapel
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