Charles Burrel Copas

Longtime resident of Northern Virginia, passed away on the 23rd of October at Mount Vernon Hospital after a short illness. Born at Ft. Benning, GA in 1927, he received a B.S. in Science and Literature from Auburn University in 1949, and an M.A. in International Relations from San Francisco State University in 1961. He entered the US Army during World War II, served in the Army and Army Reserve during 1945 through 1950, and was commissioned as a 2nd Lt in the US Air Force in 1951.

His service as an Air Force Intelligence Officer included four assignments in the Washington, DC area as well as duty in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. In 1975, he retired as a Lt Col, and from 1975 to 1990 worked as a Management and Marketing Consultant for several firms in the Washington DC area and New England. From 1997 until shortly before his death, he worked as a volunteer instructor for the Fairfax County English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program. He was an enthusiastic supporter of this activity, and in 2004 was named “Volunteer of the Year” by the Virginia Adult and Community Education Program in recognition of his contributions to the ESOL program.

His beloved wife, Jacqueline preceded him in death in 1997. He is survived by a son, Charles William Copas of Springfield, VA and a daughter, Suzanne C. Dunn of Colleyville, TX. Services will be held on the 18th of November at 12 Noon, at the Demaine Funeral Home in Springfield VA, with interment at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery. Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to the Air Force Aid Society.