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Joel P. "Jake" Coppinger Sr., passed away on Tuesday, February 3, 2009 at the age of 90.
Jake was born in Anadarko, OK, May 25, 1918.
He lived in Visalia for the last 27 years.
Jake spent his younger years growing up in Oklahoma, later moving to Pecos, TX, where he married the former Wilma Moore on December 14, 1936.
They moved to Tulare, CA in 1945 and he purchased the Trailway's Bus Station and a gas station combined in Visalia, CA.
Some of the businesses Jake owned in Tulare were: a gas station and tourist courts, meat department at the Y-Ranch grocery store, venetian blind business and selling stainless steel cookware.
Later he became the minister for the Church of Christ in Woodlake, Modesto, Lodi and Tulare (heading the "Joy Bus" Ministry.)
At the age of 60, Jake became the founder of World Bible School Tulare County. He traveled a month each April to Madras, India and Ghana, West Africa each July.
These were his main areas of evangelical locations. Virtually he circled the globe each year working for World Bible School Tulare County.
He stopped traveling abroad in 1990. He was forced to retire after a limiting stroke in 2002. He continued working from home and in less than a week, Jake raised $80,000.00 for the Tsunami. He remained director of WBSTC until his death.
Jake was a member of the Church of Christ in Woodlake, CA. One of many awards Jake received was "Outstanding Minister of the Year", presented by Pepperdine University. He served as an elder in the Church of Christ and was a board member on various church related associations.
He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Wilma of Visalia; his children: three sons, Joel Coppinger Jr. and wife Pat of Visalia, Jimmie Coppinger of Fresno and Dennis Stout of Visalia; one daughter, Pat Vice and husband Claude of Tulare; a brother, Terry Coppinger and wife Lucille of Hamilton, MT; seven grandchildren, Marcia Rectenbaugh of Quinter, KS, Monica Foster of Kingwood, TX, Staci Knight of Tulare, Stefini Vice of Tulare, Randy Coppinger of Simi Valley, Lori Herb of Fresno, Matt Coppinger of York, NB; fourteen great grandchildren, three great great grandsons; two nieces, Glenda Wilson of Ventura and Cathy Jones of Hamilton, MT and a host of friends and relatives.
Viewing will be 2-6 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 8 and 12-8 p.m., Monday, Feb. 9, at Peers Lorentzen Funeral Chapel. Funeral Services will be at 10 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the Church of Christ, 500 No. Blackstone, Tulare. Burial is at Tulare District Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the World Bible School Tulare County, P.O. Box 3700, Visalia, CA 93278-3700, or The Kidney Foundation, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 1450, Los Angeles, CA 90045.
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