Alan Coopland

Alan Francis Coopland passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 30, 2021 in Port Charlotte, Florida, surrounded by his loving family. He had fought a courageous battle with Parkinson’s Disease and Lewy Body Syndrome for many years.

Alan was born in East Cleveland, Ohio on April 29, 1940 to Harry Coopland Jr. and Eileen Coopland (Telegdy). He was raised in the Cleveland area and attended St. Ignatius Catholic Boys High School in Cleveland. As a teenager, Alan was very active in Boy Scouts and Junior Achievement. After graduation, he attended General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) in Flint, Michigan where he received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and was hired by General Motors Fisher Body Division. He soon was hired away by Mobil Oil Company (now ExxonMobil) where he worked for 36 years. In 1964, Alan married Sylvia Eckenrode in Lakewood, Ohio. They had two children, Alan F. Coopland Jr. and Laura Anne Coopland. The family loved to travel and camped in almost every state in the lower 48. They lived in several states as Alan continued to build his career with Mobil, including Ohio, Michigan, Connecticut, and Illinois, where he was Chief Engineer in Chicago. His final job with Mobil was as liaison between the oil company and the car companies. He was also the liaison with race teams that used Mobil Oil, which took him to race tracks all over the country and internationally. This job required that he live in the Detroit area, and it was here that he met Bette Fuller Bogue. The two were married in 1992.

Alan and Bette loved to travel. After retirement in 2000, they travelled all over the world- from Tibet to South America, from Australia to Norway, frequently with the ExxonMobil retirees group or with dear friends. In 2003 they bought a condo in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they lived in the winter. “Captain Al” enjoyed boating the canals of Punta Gorda and Charlotte Harbor in his boat “The Salty Frog”. Alan was an avid reader, especially of spy and legal thrillers. He was an excellent Blackjack player and loved solving N.Y. Times crossword puzzles (in pen)! Alan was a big sports fan. He retained his loyalty to the Cleveland Browns and Indians, but also supported the Detroit Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings and University of Michigan football. After moving to Denver, he supported the Denver Broncos, just in time for their Super Bowl win!

Alan was a devout Roman Catholic. He served as a lector at his church and was active in Knights of Columbus and St. Vincent de Paul charities.

Alan is survived by his loving family: wife Bette, son Alan F. Coopland Jr. (Joanne), daughter Laura Coopland Kukowski (Steve), step-son Robert Jeremy Bogue (Kim); grandchildren Benjamin Coopland (Hillary), Emily Coopland, Jonathan Coopland, Nicholas Singer (Samantha), Mitchell Singer, Lucas Singer, Bobby Bogue, Brayden Bogue, Celeste Bogue, and Ethan Bogue; great-grandchildren Clay Coopland, Gracie Coopland, and Lathan Coopland. He is also survived by his brother Geoffrey Coopland and sister Christine Coopland Naughton. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Tommy Coopland.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 28, 2021 at 11a.m. at the Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 5303 East County Line Road, Centennial, Colorado 80122.

Donations in Alan’s memory may be made to St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP), Sacred Heart Conference, 25200 Airport Road, Punta Gorda, Florida 33950.