Obituary for Mr. William P. Pope William Pierre Pope, 85, of Salem, SC, passed away on Wednesday, December 19th. Known as Bill, he was born May 25th, 1933 to the late Eleanor Kronberg and William Ford Pope in Brooklyn, New York. Bill is survived by his sister Eleanor Horton and four children William Peter Pope (Linda) of Mableton, GA, Elizabeth Lynn Cowell (Matt) of Marietta, GA, James Merwyn Pope (Betsy) of Alpharetta, GA and Victoria Lee Humphrey (Buddy) of Salem, SC and eight grandchildren.
Bill attended the University of Kentucky where he met his future wife, Marge, at a pingpong tournament at the Student Union Building. Bill worked his way through school,joined the Army R.O.T.C. and rose to the rank of Captain.
He graduated from theCollege of Engineering as a Civil Engineer and was hired by the Pennsylvania Railroad as a track supervisor in charge of track maintenance. As he moved up the career ladder, the family uprooted to places like Elizabethtown, PA; Latrobe, PA, Monongahela, PA; Fort Wayne, IN; Chester, PA; and then Williamsport, PA where his wife Marge resisted the move, so the family could remain settled for 10 years. Dad’s career path took him to Buffalo, NY and Ardmore, PA.
Mom rejoined in Harrisburg, PA where he was the Division Engineer responsible all track maintenance for thousands of track miles from Central New York, Central Pennsylvania and Northern Virginia. Dad ended his career with an assignment in Philadelphia, PA and then retired to South Carolina. Bill had many passions in life as an ardent fan of the old Brooklyn Dodgers and then the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He was passionate about Kentucky Wildcats basketball, and, most of all, a tennis fan who attended USTA events all over the country. Bill loved to play Bridge, Hearts, Checkers, Chess. He loved playing tennis, camping and boating.
The family loved to sail to the Falls in Lake Keowee. Bill took the family on a camping trip across the country from Philadelphia to San Francisco along Interstate 80. Bill tookthe family on another camping trip to Niagara Falls and then 100 miles north of Toronto, Canada.
From the 1980’s the family loved vacationing in Hilton Head Island for two weeks in August at the time share he purchased at the Island Club Tennis Resort. For the family, it would be doubles tennis, basketball, deep end pool lounging, beach, the Westin Resort Pool, family dinner- repeat each day! In December, 1996, Bill and Marge retired to the mountains of Salem, SC, at Lake Keowee to a home above the lake they loved.
It was a place where Bill could follow his bliss, play tennis, boat, read, and participate in community life. Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 PM, Saturday, December 29, 2018 in the Chapel of Davenport Funeral Home, ministered by Rev. Ray Barnwell.
A private burial will follow at the Runyon Family Cemetery, John’s Creek, KY. Visitation will be held on the day of the funeral starting at 1:00 PM, Saturday, December 29, 2018, at Davenport Funeral Home, 311 S. Highway 11, West Union, SC 29696. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation; 1359 Broadway Suite, New York, New York 10018, 1-800-457-6676, www.
parkinson.org. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Mr. William P. Pope please visit our Sympathy Store. Upcoming Events Visitation , DEC 29.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Davenport Funeral Home, Inc. 311 South Carolina 11 West Union, SC, US, 29696 help@davenportfuneralhome.com www. davenportfuneralhome.com Order Flowers for the Visitation Hand delivery before William’s Visitation begins. Funeral Service , DEC 29.
2:00 PM Davenport Funeral Home, Inc. 311 South Carolina 11 West Union, SC, US, 29696 help@davenportfuneralhome.com www. davenportfuneralhome.com Order Flowers for the Funeral Service Hand delivery before William’s Funeral Service begins.
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