This Wendesday, it came to my attention, through an obituary, that my friend Bill Cope had died in car crash in New Mexico. I will be attending the funeral service tomorrow with my family. Bill Cope was one of best people that I’ve had the privelege of knowing. I met him when I was around 13 years of age, an insecure teenage girl who had just joined the Naval Sea Cadet Corps. He was a retired Master Sargeant from the Army. We first met when I was with the Sea Cadets, out rapelling and rockclimbing. He was there, teaching us how to repel off of a 60-foot slab of granite. I might want to mention that I have a horrible fear of heights, but rapelling looks fun, and I’ve always thought the most enjoyable activity in the world was challenging your fears. So, here I was, knobby-kneed, scared out my mind, hanging by a rope, and Sgt. Cope was down below, belaying. I was inching down the wall, when he told me to let go of the rope.

“But.. I’ll fall!” I remember squeaking, trying not to look down.

“Oh no you won’t!” He yelled up at me. “I’ve got ya!” he pulled the rope taunt. “I’m not going to let ya go anywhere! Now let go!”

“Yes, s-sir,” I said, wondering if I would be able to pry my fingers off the rope.

“SIR!” He yelled. “I’m not a ’sir’! I work for a living! Master Sargeant!”

“Yes, master sargeant,” I grimaced, slowly pulling my fingers off one by one. For a minute, I was quaking in fear, sure that I was going to meet my maker. But I was held fast in mid-air, and the feeling was invigorating. I laughed, and I wasn’t so afraid anymore. I grabbed the rope again and bounded down. I met him at the bottom, a huge grin on my face, and a message:
“I wanna go again!”

I tried everything after that– going rappelling again, and trying rockclimbing, which I loved and am doing now. He was even prouder than I was when I reached the top, and he had just met me! He did that with everyone; taking pride in their accomplishments and checking up on them. My family and I had great conversations with him and his wife, Terri. He helped me climb up several other walls during my Sea Cadet career; not all of them tangible. He always had a big smile for me, and reminder that he was enlisted, not an officer. He lit up a room and loved meeting new people. He had a big heart, probably one of biggest I’ve ever seen. If I had just a bit of his compassion, I would be happy with myself.

Lots of nice things are said about people after they die. I would have said all this when Sargeant Cope was alive, too. It’s hard, because I know I’m not going to see his big smile again, and I’m not going to have another good conversation with him. Sargeant Cope, if you’re up there, Amy is down here and she’s very proud of life you lead, and she knows that your wife and children are too! I hope there are big rocks in heaven.

Here is the obituary. God bless Sargeant Cope and his family. My heart is with them.