James L. Coppens

Nov. 8, 1945 - Aug. 11, 2010
SOUTH BEND - James Lynn "Jim" Coppens, 64, of South Bend, passed away peacefully in his home on Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2010, following a two-year battle with lymphoma. He died in the love and comforting care of family and friends. Known locally and primarily as the former Executive Director of the South Bend Civic Theatre (1995-2009), Jim was born in Mishawaka to Rene and Rose (Roggeman) Coppens, both now deceased. His grandparents were Herman and Justine Coppens, and William and Clara (Fetters) Roggeman. Jim attended St. Joseph Grade School in Mishawaka, graduating in 1959. Attracted at that time to the idea of one day becoming a Catholic priest, he entered Our Lady of the Lake Seminary in Syracuse, Ind. Following his junior year at the seminary, he decided to forgo his churchly intentions and complete his secondary-school education at Mishawaka High School, graduating with honors in 1963. After completing his freshman year of college at IUSB, Jim moved on to the Bloomington campus where he graduated in 1967 with honors in Classical Languages and Literature, along with a minor in Spanish. Jim began his first career at LaLumiere School, a college-preparatory school in LaPorte, in the fall of 1968. There, he taught Latin, Spanish and English. He also coached basketball, soccer, baseball and tennis, and served in various administrative capacities. As the school's varsity basketball coach from 1969 to 1977, he was proud of his teams' overall 82-50 record. He was also proud to have been head coach of the school's 1976 varsity soccer squad that made it all the way to the championship game against New Albany High School, finishing state runner-up in a match played at Indiana University. Following a year-and-a-half stint as a part-time correspondent for the LaPorte Herald Argus, Jim took the position in the fall of 1977 of Director of Publications and Public Information at Culver Academies in Culver, Ind., where he was responsible for the academies' public relations, student publications and, his first love, the Culver Alumni Magazine. After 16 years at Culver, Jim retired and moved shortly thereafter to Houston. While contemplating a professional career in what had become a passionate hobby, acting and directing, he began to formulate a plan to grow the South Bend Civic Theatre from a small, all-volunteer organization into a vital center for community theatre led by a full-time executive director and staff. After presenting his plan to SBCT's board of directors, he suggested also that he be named the theatre's first executive director. Six months later, after much study and consideration, the board agreed to the formulation. Following a two-month regional search for a full-time executive director, Jim was named to the position in September 1995. During Jim's tenure at SBCT, he took the theatre from its converted firehouse location on Portage Avenue to its present location, the newly remodeled former Scottish Rite building on Main Street, which had its grand opening in January 2007. Jim married his first wife, Judy Cooreman, then of New Carlisle, in 1966. Together, they had two sons Eric (Rick) Coppens, who passed away July 27, 1984, at the age of 17, and Bryon Coppens. In 1978, Jim and Judy were divorced. Eight years later, Jim married Catherine Duncan. The union lasted until 1993. In 1997, Jim met his third wife Linda M. Sanfratello. They were married March 21, 1999. Surviving along with his wife Linda are his son, Bryon, and granddaughter, Elsie Coppens, both of Cincinnati; a brother, Michael Coppens of Pensacola, Fla.; a sister, Sharyn Allen of South Bend; and five step-grandchildren, Emily, Georgia, Nicholas, Camille and Ava of South Bend, Mishawaka and Granger. The family will greet friends on Monday, Aug. 23, 2010, at the South Bend Civic Theatre, 403 N. Main St., South Bend, in the First Source Bank Lobby, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. A memorial service will be held Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010, in the First United Methodist Church, 333 N. Main Street (next door to the Theatre), at 4 p.m. Contributions may be made to The South Bend Civic Theatre, P.O. Box 1146, South Bend, IN 46624; or to the Center for Hospice Care, 111 Sunnybrook Court, South Bend, IN 46637. Welsheimer Family Funeral Home North and Crematory assisted the family with arrangements. Family and friends may leave e-mail condolences at www.welsheimer.com.