William Lee (Bill) Kopplin, loving husband, proud father and amazing grandfather, passed away peacefully in San Antonio TX on June 20, 2017 at the age of 73. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Sue; their two sons, William Blake (Erin) and Daniel James (Tess); two granddaughters, Maddie and Phoebe; and twin brothers, John of San Antonio and Bob of Fort Collins, CO. A Celebration of Life memorial service will be held at Oak Hills Church (South Room) on Thursday, June 29, 2017 at 10 am, preceded by family visitation at 9 am. Oak Hills Church is located at 19535 IH 10 West.
A long-time San Antonio resident, Bill was born at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, TX, on April 18, 1944, to William Earl and Hester Gage Greer Kopplin. The family relocated to Arlington Heights, IL where Bill grew up and graduated from Arlington Heights H.S. He attended college at The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, where he rose to the rank of Fourth Battalion Commander. May 28, 1966, was a trifecta day for Bill: he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration; received his commission as an Air Force Second Lieutenant; and later that afternoon, married Susan Kay Kline.
Bill was an Air Force Pilot for 13 years, first flying the C-7A in Vietnam and later as a U-2 pilot. His commendations included the Distinguished Flying Cross and numerous Air Medals. Bill left the Air Force to spend more time with his wife and two young sons, relocated to San Antonio and began a career as a financial advisor for Paine Webber and UBS Financial Services, retiring in 2008. He was very active in youth sports and once served as President of the Northside Little League and Clark H.S. Booster Club. He also served on the Board of Directors of the National Youth Sports Coaches Assn. and Kids Sports Network. Bill was also a Class IV graduate of the San Antonio Masters Leadership Program and served on the Board of Directors of the MLP Alumni Assn.
The family would like to thank Ava Watkins and the caregivers of Arden Courts of San Antonio for their kind and loving care over the past three years. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.Alz.org) would be greatly appreciated.
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Posted on: 2017-06-22
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