Mr David William Copp.
A STALWART of Newport Golf Club, David William Copp, who served as captain and president, has died, aged 85.
Mr Copp, of Watergate Road, Newport, was born in Charmouth, Dorset, and spent his childhood in Devon.
A graduate of St Andrew’s University, Scotland, Mr Copp married his wife, Joan, in 1951, and moved to the Island, where he taught maths at Newport Grammar School.
In 1953, Mr Copp went to Ghana to teach maths at Prempeh College, where he remained for seven-and-a-half years, before returning to the IW to teach at Priory Girls’ School, Newport.
While studying at St Andrew’s, Mr Copp learnt to play golf and the game became one of his great passions.
At the time of his death, he was Newport Golf Club’s longest-serving member. He served as captain for four years and was a former president. In the early days, he mowed the greens when the club did not have a greenkeeper.
His proudest moment in recent years was winning the President’s Trophy at the age of 80, in a team containing two of his grandsons.
David returned to Prempeh College in 2006 for an informal visit and found he and his family had been made official guests of the president of Ghana.
Mr Copp was honoured in a special ceremony at the school and had dinner with the president.
He was also a member of St John’s Church, Newport, and was a churchwarden for five years.
His Christian faith was not only marked by regular attendance at church but unstinting generosity of spirit and kindness to anyone in need.
Mr Copp leaves his wife, three daughters, Sally, Julie and Gaye, two sons, Brian and Graham, and nine grandchildren.
His funeral will be at St John’s church, next Friday, June 29, at 2pm.
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