Harold "Bud" Coppinger

Bluefield, VA Harold W. (Bud) Coppinger of Westwood Health Care Center, formerly of Bland Road, Bluefield, WV, died Monday, September 05, 2011. Born February 14, 1926 in Bluefield, West Virginia, he was the son of the late A.D. Coppinger, Sr. and Fern Mahoney Coppinger. Bud graduated from Beaver High School in 1944 and served in the Army Air Corps during WWII. Upon returning to Bluefield, he joined his father in business at Coppinger Machinery Service and attended Bluefield College on the GI Bill. He retired from Coppinger Machinery in 1981 as its executive vice president. In 1949, he married his high school sweetheart, Carolyn Walker, of Bluefield and they were married for 45 years before her death in 1994. He served on the boards of the Bluefield Union Mission, Commercial Bank, Hawaii Baptist Academy and Southwest Virginia Community College. He also served on the Mining Engineering Board at Bluefield State College, was a member of the Kiwanis Club and served as president of the Bluefield YMCA. He had a passion for flying and flew for many years as a Lieutenant for the Mercer County Civil Air Patrol. He was a speaker for the Gideon’s International Ministry and was a member and elder at Westminster Presbyterian Church. In 2006 he was honored by being inducted into the Bluefield High School Hall of Fame. Bud will be remembered by many as their 6"' grade Sunday School Teacher at Trinity Methodist Church where he taught for 25 years. Survivors include two daughters, Cindy Thompson and husband, Ed of Jamestown, N.C., Deb Sarver and husband Pete of Bluefield; one son, Wally Coppinger of Charlotte, N.C.; two grandsons, Brandon Sarver and his wife Aimee of Simpsonville, S.C. and Brent Sarver of New York City, NY; great grandson, Will Sarver of Simpsonville, S.C.; sister, Doris Longworth of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; brother-in-law Nelson Walker and wife Phyllis of Bluefield; several nephews, including special nephew, Rick Longworth and his family of Bastian, Virginia. In addition to his wife and his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Allen D. Coppinger, Jr. The family would like to thank the wonderful staff of Westwood health Care Center for their care during the last 2 years of his life, and offer a special thank you to Deborah Wooley who was a faithful friend and loving caregiver for Bud. Graveside services will be held Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 11:00 A.M. at the Chapel of the Wildwood Mausoleum of Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Princeton with Craig Hammond officiating. There will be no visitation. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Bluefield Bible in the Schools Fund, P.O. Box 543, Bluefield, WV, 24701 or to the Bluefield Union Mission, P.O. Box 4056 Bluefield, WV 24701. Those wishing to share memories or condolence messages with the family may do so by visiting www.MercerFuneralHome.com Mercer Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the Coppinger family.

Harold "Bud" Coppinger

February 14, 1926 - September 5, 2011