John Henry Cope

1917 - 2006

John Henry Cope, 89, a retired pilot, died Saturday, Oct. 14, 2006, at a local hospital.

Funeral: 3 p.m. Tuesday, Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Chapel, 5725 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville. Burial: Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Park. Visitation: The family will receive friends 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

John was born Sept. 29, 1917, in Chattanooga, Okla. He met Lela Faye Hughes in Tuttle, Okla., and on March 27, 1941, they were married in Oklahoma City. They celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary this year at the South Colleyvine Ranch Retirement Community on Pool Road.

John started flying in 1936 in Taylor Craft, OX-5 Travelair and OX-5 Robin airplanes. He was the flight commander for basic flight school at an Army Air Corps base outside Chickasha, Okla., during World War II. John flew for Braniff International for 34 years out of Love Field and D/FW Airport.

In 1977 he and Lela Faye retired and moved to Rincon de Guayabitos, Mexico. They moved to Rockport in 1992 for five years before returning to the Southlake and Grapevine area to be near their family.

He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather who will be deeply missed by all his family. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Shary G. Goolsby; and a granddaughter-in-law, Rebecca Darr.

Survivors: Wife, Lela Faye Cope; daughter, Sandra Kaye Bandy; son, Brian Keith Cope; grandsons, Dale Darr, Troy Darr and wife, Raphaela, John Bandy and wife, Jennifer, Gary Darr and wife, Kathy; granddaughter, Susan Bandy Miller and husband, Chris; and great-grandchildren, Emily Darr, Samantha and Cole Miller and Lauren Bandy.