- Mayor
- Postmaster
- City Manager
- WW II Veteran
Billy James “BB” Cope, age 87, of McKinney, Texas, loving husband and father, passed away August 1, 2013. BB was born on January 17, 1926 to Benjamin Herman and Beulah Morgan Cope in McKinney, TX. He attended McKinney schools and graduated from the original Boyd High School in 1943. BB served in World War II in the mechanized cavalry reconnaissance troop of the 97th Infantry Division. He served both in Europe and with the occupation troops in Japan and was discharged from the service in 1946. BB married Valeta Welborn Cope on February 9, 1951 in the downtown First Baptist Church of McKinney. He attended school at North Texas State Teachers College in Denton.
BB was appointed City Secretary for the City of McKinney in August 1959 and served as City Manager from 1962-1968 when he was appointed Postmaster. In 1977 BB was elected Mayor of McKinney and served until 1979 as both Mayor and Postmaster. After his mayoral term ended he returned to focusing solely on his Postmaster duties until his retirement in 1988.
BB became a member of the McKinney Lions Club in October 1960 and held a perfect attendance record over 44 years. He was President of the Lions in 1970 and held several other offices during his tenure. BB has been a member of the First Baptist Church of McKinney since 1952 and served as a greeter for many of those years.
He is survived by his wife, Valeta Cope of McKinney, Texas; sons, Billy J. Cope, Jr. and wife, Debbie of Garland, TX, Bradley Welborn Cope and wife, Jennifer of McKinney, TX, and Barry Brian Cope of New York, NY; grandchildren, William Austin Cope, Matthew Elliott Cope, Andrews Welborn Cope, Emily Amanda Cope, and Olivia Lee Cope; brother, Jess Cope and Wife, Pat of Grand Prairie, TX; sister, Pat Cope Lowe of Joshua, TX; and numerous other loving nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his siblings, B.H. Cope, Jack Cope, and Janice Cope Linker.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, August 4, 2013, at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Chapel in Allen, Texas. Interment will follow at Ridgeview Memorial Park in Allen. The family will receive friends during a visitation from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m., Saturday evening at the funeral home.
In honor of BB, memorial donations may be made to the McKinney Education Foundation, www.mmeeff.com.