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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3d United States Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard)Support the Society
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Did you know?
Has anyone ever tried to get past the Tomb guards, or attempted to deface the Tomb?
Yes, that is the reason why we now guard the Tomb. Back in the early 1920's, we didn't have guards and the Tomb looked much different. It was flat at ground level without the 70 ton marble 'cap'. People often came to the cemetery in those days and a few actually used the Tomb as a picnic area, likely because of the view. Soon after in 1925, they posted a civilian guard. In 1926, a US Army soldier was posted during cemetery hours. On July 1, 1937 guard duty was expanded to the 24 hour watch. Since then, the ceremony has evolved throughout the years to what you see today. Today, most of the challenges faced by the Sentinels are tourists who are speaking too loudly or attempting to get a better picture (by entering the post).
