Charles Edward Bope

BOPE Charles Edward Bope, M.D., 87, of Somerset, Ohio, died at 10:50 p.m. Thursday, April 27, 2006 after a long illness. Dr. Bope was born October 30, 1918 on West Columbus Street in Thornville, son of the late Jesse Benton and Edna Blanche (Whitmer) Bope. He graduated from Thornville High School in 1936 as valedictorian of his class. During high school, he was president of the HiY club and center on the basketball team. He worked on local farms and in a grocery store, earning $8.00 weekly for his college education. He graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1941 from The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy. After graduation, he attended the University of Wisconsin as a graduate teaching assistant in pharmacy. His teaching was interrupted in 1942 by World War II, during which he served four years in the Army Medical Service Corps, advancing from Private to Captain. He received specialized training in chemical warfare at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland. He became an instructor at the Officer Candidate School, Camp Barkley, Texas and at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. Following the war, Dr. Bope entered the College of Medicine at The Ohio State University in 1947 obtaining his M.D. degree in 1950. Following a year of internship, Dr. Bope began his private practice in Somerset, Ohio in 1951 at the Clouse Clinic. He was the first physician in Perry County to perform electrocardiograms. During his 45 years of general practice, he devoted countless day, evening, night, and holiday hours to provide care for the people of the community. Dr. Bope delivered over 2000 babies and assisted with many surgeries at Good Samaritan and Bethesda Hospitals in Zanesville. He served as the first medical director for the Somerset-Reading Twp. Emergency Medical Squad. Dr. Bope received an Outstanding Team Physician Award at the Hall of Fame in Massillon, Ohio in 1996 in recognition of the thousands of free physicals that he gave to athletes at Somerset High School and Sheridan High School in over more than 45 years as Team Physician. He was inducted into the Sheridan High School Academic Hall of Excellence in 2002. As a youth, he was a member of the Reformed Church in Thornville. After moving to Somerset, he was a member of the Somerset United Methodist Church for more than 50 years. Each year from 1952 to 2003, he marched the full parade route in the Somerset Memorial Day Parade, and, more than one year, delivered the keynote address. Dr. Bope was an active member of the American Medical Association, Ohio State Medical Association, Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, and Perry County Medical Society, which he had served as president. He was a willing speaker for civic organizations, often focusing on history using illustrations from his lifetime collection of newspaper front pages. Dr. Bope made countless other contributions to church, community, and school over his lifetime, basing his life on his favorite scripture, Micah 6:8: He hath showed you, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and physician. He will be sadly missed by family, friends, and the community. Dr. Bope is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mary Elizabeth (Tharp) Bope; children, Charles and Alice (Bope) Parsons of Pataskala, Dr. Edward Bope of Columbus, Ruth (Bope) Dangel of Upper Arlington, and John and Jane (Mack) Bope of Somerset; grandchildren, Theodore and Margaret Parsons of Strongsville, Dr. Andrew and Gretchen Parsons of Kettering, David and Julie (Bope) Cains of Thornville, Jordan Edward Bope of Somerset, and Elizabeth Ruth Dangel of Upper Arlington; great-grandchildren, Emma Marie Parsons and Ainsley Elaine Parsons of Kettering and Charles Edward Parsons of Strongsville; his twin brother, Frank Willis and Mary (Helser) Bope of Columbus; brothers- and sisters-in-law, Grace (Drumheller) Tharp, Victor and Marilyn (Sipe) Tharp, Lloyd and Joan (Tharp) Hendry; and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother Herbert Whitmer Bope and his sisters-in-law Virginia Bope and Eleanor Bope. Friends may call from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Monday, May 1, 2006 at the BOPE-THOMAS FUNERAL HOME in Somerset and one hour prior to the service at the church. Service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 2, 2006 at the Somerset United Methodist Church with the Rev. Sharon Hausman officiating. Burial will be in New Lexington Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Somerset United Methodist Church.