William Andrew "Bill" Pope

William (Bill) Andrew Pope, 77, of Gainesville, Fl (formerly of Elizabeth Twp, Pa) passed on November 5, 2024 at Magnolia Ridge Rehab Center in Gainesville, FL. The son of the late William and Letta Pope, Bill was a graduate of Elizabeth Forward High School. Upon graduation, he served with the U.S. Army from 1965-1968, a member of the 2nd Infantry Division, and attaining the role of Sergeant. Following his discharge, he returned home and married his high school sweetheart, Valerie (Sleasman) Pope. The couple went on to have 2 sons. For many years, Bill worked at McClure Johnson, a residential building product company in Braddock and was proudly named their #1 salesman many times over. He went on to own his own residential contracting business, Central Home Improvement , for more than 20 years. He found great joy working with his customers and always looking for his next project even into retirement. Active in his community, he served The Boy Scouts Of America as scout master of Cub Scout Pack 98 and Boy Scout Troop 679, both in Elizabeth Twp. He also served as District Commissioner for Boy Scouts East Valley Area Council. Bill will be remembered as loving, strong, kind, funny, and always quick to help others. He found great joy in outdoor activities: camping, fishing, scuba diving , and Frisbee. He loved traveling, listening to music (especially Christmas and oldies), and generally just "putzing" around. He especially cherished time with his family; always eager to share a story, a laugh, and a beer.And, his sweet tooth was legendary. He is missed every day. He is preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Mary,and in-laws, Gerald and Dolores Sleasman. He is survived by his wife and best friend of 55 years, Valerie of Gainesville, Fl; two sons William (Emily) Pope of Mt Lebanon, Pa and Brian (Tracy) Pope of Gainesville; grandsons Aidan and Conner Pope; brothers Barry (Jeannie) Pope of Washington, Pa and Sidney (MyKyong) Pope of Dothan, AL; sister-in-law Geraldine (Russell) Kalko; and several nieces and nephews, extended family, and countless longtime friends. Arrangements were originally handled in Florida.

Please join the family for a celebration of life honoring Bill, "Big Guy" on Saturday, August 9th, 2025 from 12:00-5:00 pm at the Maryland Pavilion in South Park. An Inurnment at The National Cemetery of theAlleghenies will be held at a later date. Condolences can be made at Gilbertfuneralhomeandcrematory.com