Thomas J. Cope
Tomb Position
SentinelTomb Relief
1stHighest Military Rank
CorporalTomb Dates
Mar 1953 - Jan 1954Society Membership
--Select One--Home City / State
Middletown, OHCurrent City / State
Fort Myers, FLObituary
Thomas Jerry Cope, age 89, of Middletown, passed away surrounded by his family on May 7, 2021. Jerry was a loving and devoted husband, father and papaw. He was born to the late George and Ida Mae Frisch Cope on August 4, 1931, in
Middletown, Ohio. He was a proud veteran of the United States Army and served during the Korean War as member of the Honor Guard Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and later was honorably discharged. Jerry was a plumber and pipe fitter and retired in 1994. He was a member of the Plumbers and Pipefitter Union Local 392, for over 50 years, and the Zion
Lutheran Church of Middletown. If you knew Jerry, you knew his world revolved around his family and grandchildren. He enjoyed coaching their baseball teams and spending any chance he got with them. Jerry was an avid bowler in his younger years and was a volunteer firefighter for Mayfield. He is survived by his loving wife of 70 years, Ora Kate Harrison Cope; daughters Deborah (Herley) Hatfield, Diana (Mike) Hughes, Katrena (Mike) Engel; sons TJ (Dora) Cope, Doug
(Lisa) Cope, George (Teri) Cope, Robert (Jodie) Cope, Daniel (Tina) Cope; 28 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren, 7 great-great-grandchildren, brother Charlie Cope, and sister-in-law Mary Cope. He was preceded in death by his father George Cope, mother Ida Mae Frisch Cope, sisters Elizabeth Cope, Wilma Gibson, Marilee O'Conner; brothers Dick Cope, James Cope, John Cope, Benson Cope and David Cope; grandchildren Corby Cope and Tia Boley. A visitation will be held at Baker-Stevens-Parramore Funeral Home, 6850 Roosevelt Ave., Middletown, Ohio 45005, on Tuesday, May 11, 2021, from 4:00pm-8:00 pm with a funeral service to follow on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, at the funeral home at 10:00am, Officiating Pastor Jen Rue.
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Did you know?
Do you guard in a blizzard or a bad thunderstorm?
YES, but the accomplishment of the mission and welfare of the Soldier are never put at risk. The Tomb Guards have contingencies that are ready to be executed if the weather conditions ever place the Soldiers at risk of injury or death (i.e. lightning, high winds, etc). This ensures that Sentinels can continue the mission while ensuring safety. It is the responsibility of the Chain of Command from the Sergeant of the Guard to the Regimental Commander to ensure mission accomplishment and soldier welfare at all times.
It was erroneously reported that during Hurricane Isabel, the Sentinels were ordered to abandon their posts for shelter and that they refused. No such order was ever given. All proper precautions were taken to ensure the safety of the Sentinels while accomplishing their mission. Risk assessments are constantly conducted by the Chain of Command during changing conditions to ensure that soldier welfare is maintained during mission accomplishment.
