Kenneth Warren Cope, 83, entered into rest on September 22, 2018, after a long illness.
Kenneth was born in Neosho, Missouri on September 1, 1935 to Forrest and Marie (Goodson) Cope. He graduated from Neosho High School in 1953, served in the U.S. Army for two years, attended Joplin Junior College, and graduated from the University of Texas in 1959, with a journalism degree. He and his wife, Anne (Bush) Cope, returned to Neosho and went to work at the Neosho Daily News. He became advertising manager, general manager and then publisher in 1969.
He and Anne purchased the Neosho Daily News and they worked together until selling to American Publishing Company in 1987. He then worked for APC as executive vice president and was in charge of acquisitions and over 100 newspapers west of the Mississippi River, retiring in 2000.
Kenneth served as president of Missouri Press Association and was later inducted into the MPA Hall of Fame.
At age 24 Kenneth became the youngest person to serve on the Neosho City Council. At age 27 he was elected mayor for two terms and was the youngest mayor to serve in Missouri at that time.
He was always known in Neosho as “The Runner” and competed in many area races and five times in the Boston Marathon. He ran thousands of miles with other runners from the area and loved to encourage new runners, high school runners, and those who were setting higher goals for themselves.
Always active in the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce, he served as president and then for many years served as president of Neosho Industries Inc. and Newton County Industrial Development Authority, which oversaw land designated for industry and worked on contacts for new business and industry in Newton County.
He served as an elder for Rocketdyne Road Church of Christ for 30 years. He was a song leader, teacher and Jumpstart helper most of those years.
Kenneth was in Kiwanis Club for many years, serving as president one term. His particular interest was their work with young people and he volunteered many hours in work with the children and raising money for child-related projects. During this time he also served on the Newton County Child Welfare Board.
Kenneth is survived by his wife, Anne, four children, Mike of Abilene, Texas and wife, Diane, Randy of Bella Vista, Arkansas and wife Pam, Billy Jo Cope of Pensacola, Florida, and Nancy Gibbons of Benton, Arkansas and husband Shane. He also is survived by eight grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, two brothers, Ralph Cope of Neosho, Missouri, and wife Lia, and Glenn Cope, of Tonkawa, Oklahoma, and wife, Barbara, and a sister-in-law, Marcia Cope, of Neosho, Missouri.
He is preceded in death by his parents, two grandchildren, Megan Cope and Jantsen Cope, one great-grandchild, Jayden Boykin, and a brother, Don Cope.
A visitation will be held at Clark Funeral Home in Neosho from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 25, 2018 and services will be held on Wednesday, September 26, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. at Rocketdyne Road Church of Christ, Neosho. The casket will be closed at service time, to remain. Burial will follow the service at Oakwood Cemetery, south of Neosho.
In lieu of flowers a memorial fund has been set up with Touch A Life, a foundation that rescues and rehabilitates children from child slavery in Ghana. Donations for the memorial fund can be made at www.touchalifekids.org/Kenneth or can be made out to “Touch A Life” and sent to Clark Funeral Home, PO Box 66, Neosho, MO 64850.
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