Jennifer Ann Cope

Jennifer was born on November 12, 1967 in the city of Steubenville, Ohio and passed away at her home in Woodlawn, on May 27, 2023, at the age of 55.  She was the daughter of Howard E Cope, who passed away in 1986, and Nancie Alderman Cope (Charles), who passed away in 2014.  Most importantly, she was also the little sister to John H Cope, the narrator of this obituary, as well as a sister to my wife, Sandra Phipps Cope.  Although she never married, she was great in her role as the much beloved aunt to Jonathan Christopher Cope and Skyler Andre' Cope and being the great-aunt to Zoey, Coalson, and Leslie Cope.

She was my first memory as I recall my father driving her and the rest of our small family home from the hospital in a green and white 1965 VW Vanagon.  She moved with her family from Bloomingdale, Ohio to Winfield, West Virginia around the age of 3 where she began to grow into to her role as a great little sister.

She truly excelled as a wonderful sister and I am happy to say that we rarely ever argued or groveled about anything during our upbringing.  We played many board games and card games together over those years and as I recall, winning or losing was not as important as the enjoyment of playing the games.   And she never cheated (or not that I ever caught her at).  She was always a good-hearted soul, enjoying music, art, great food, and family.  Around the age of six, she relocated with our family back to Richmond, Ohio, where we lived in our first house without wheels.  I can only assume it was at this time that she became a huge fan of David Cassidy from The Partridge Family, a devotion that never left her during the last fifty years.

We continued to enjoy playing games together and several years later, we were able to enjoy the huge snowstorms of 1976-77 where we put on many layers of clothing to withstand the cold and build igloos and forts in the snow.  We must have enjoyed thousands of sled rides that winter that were filled with laughter, joy, and a several bumps and bruises.

At the age of 11, she moved to Independence Virginia when we moved to the little house in the hills.  It was here that Jennifer began to grow in her love of music, joining and excelling in chorus and as a flutist in the Marching Band.  It was also here, at Pleasant Grove Baptist, that she began her lifelong journey and fellowship with Jesus Christ.  She accepted Him as her Savior and until her passing, she never waivered in her faith.  She always wanted to serve others and upon graduation, she attended college to gain a certification as a Licensed Practical Nurse and began to care for others at Twin County Community Hospital in Galax, Virginia.

After our father passed away, Jennifer moved to Portsmouth Virginia with our Mother and continued her service as a nurse at Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center.  She also continued her journey in Faith as she joined the Good News Baptist Church, which was also in Portsmouth.

She truly enjoyed singing in the church choir and looked forward to singing in the Christmas Cantata every year.  As our Mom's health began to fail, Jennifer turned her focus to caring for her.  As Alzheimer's began to grind on her, Jennifer ensured that her remaining years were as enjoyable and comfortable as possible.

Jennifer's desire to care for others did not end with Mom's passing and several years later, she found a new purpose as she began to care for my father-in-law Glenn Phipps in Galax, Virginia.  As time passed, she also became a travel companion, cook, chauffeur, and most importantly, a second daughter to Glenn.

She loved being on top of the hill in Galax and often posted pictures of the beautiful sunsets that God created there.  I'm sure that she will enjoy them in Heaven.  She certainly deserves it.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a charitable donation to one of the following:
National Fibromyalgia Association (https://www.fmaware.org/donate/)
American Diabetes Association (https://diabetes.org/?form=FUNPWAAVHMF)

Vaughan-Guynn-McGrady Chapel is serving the family.