Michael Coppedge Obituary

Michael M. Coppedge passed away at LMH on Sunday May 11, 2025. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday June 7, 2025 11:00 AM, at Warren-McElwain Mortuary in Eudora, Kansas. This will be preceded by a Visitation at 10:00 AM at the Mortuary. Masonic grave rites will follow at the Eudora City Cemetery.

Mike was born March 5, 1945, in Paden, Oklahoma, the son of Rev. Haskell and Myrtle Coppedge. He attended schools in Kansas, graduated from Quenemo High School in 1964, and served in the US Air Force.

He married his wife Mary on November 21, 1970 in Ottawa, KS. With their union, Mike lovingly embraced Mary's daughters, Tammy and Kathy. Mickie, their daughter was born in 1974 while Mike and Mary finished building their home in Eudora, KS. Their son Jason was born five years later.

Mike worked for Kansas City Power & Light for 32 years, beginning as plant helper and rising to Foreman at the Iatan Station in Weston, Missouri. He worked at several coal fired power plants, including Grand Avenue and Northeast Stations.

In 1979, Mike and Mary had their children dedicated to God in the Friend's Tradition at Hesper Friends Church. Later, Mike and Mary attended First United Methodist Church in Lawrence, KS.

A proud Freemason, Mike was raised in the Doric Lodge on March 25, 1975. Worshipful Coppedge fulfilled many duties and chairs with Doric Lodge #83. He served faithfully in many roles, including Master of the Lodge in 2005. Mike affiliated with the De Soto, KS lodge on February 19, 2009 as a Plural Member and assisted with degree work for many members.

Mike loved to work in his garage on many projects and he was mechanically inclined, particularly skilled at running and maintaining gas powered engines. He overhauled a Toyota Landcruiser and worked on a VW bug. Mike maintained a large vegetable garden for many years. Mike and Mary loved back road travels and took their children on many camping trips and to visit extended family. He enjoyed a wide variety of music from Jimi Hendrix to Shoji Tabuchi to Junior Brown. Mike rarely missed a breakfast or lunch with special friends and he loved a good fitted KU baseball hat. Mike was deeply protective of his family and friends. He was always willing to lend a tool to a neighbor and he had a unique generosity, offering his time and he gifted many of his favorite possessions away to those he cared for. He triumphantly retained the ability to mow his own lawn, even up to this spring, and lived out his final days in the home he built for his family.

Mike was preceded in death by his beloved son Jason, his sister Naomi Ruth Ann, and his parents. Mike is survived by his devoted wife Mary, daughters: Tammy Gavillet, Kathy (Dan) McClintock, Mickie (Howard) Gillispie, daughter-in-law, Shana Coppedge. He is also survived by his sister, Mary (Fred) Wade and grandchildren: Maria, Nick, Karlee, Alexis, Andrew, Piper, and Weston, great grandchildren: David, Rylee, Madelyn, and Lily as well as his nephew, Chris, with whom he shared the same birthday, and several nieces.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials in Mike's name to First United Methodist Church of Lawrence or the Eudora Chapter of the Boys Scouts of America Troop 64 and may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain Mortuary in Lawrence, KS.