William H Koptis

William H. Koptis
William H. Koptis, age 88, went to be with the Lord on April 13, 2016.
Beloved husband of Ruth D. Koptis (nee Fowler) for 66 years; loving father of Karen D. Koptis of Fairlawn, Gail A. Tanner (Richard) of Lakewood, Marylee Lewis of Cuyahoga Falls and Haiti, and William H. (Billy) Koptis, Jr. (deceased); revered grandfather, known as "Boppa", to Matthew Tanner (Melissa), Mark Urman, Emily Tanner and Hannah Lewis. Son of the late Harvey and Aletha (nee Gillette) Koptis, brother of the late Bette Valko and brother-in-law Bill Fowler; Uncle to many.
Bill was raised in Parma, Ohio and graduated from Parma Schaaf High School in 1945, participating in choir and lettered in several sports. He attended Miami University on an athletic scholarship. In 1946 and 1947 he served in the United States Army and was captain of the 8th Army football team.
After the death of his father, he left Baldwin-Wallace College to support his mother. Bill ran his father's trucking business until 1950 when he then opened The Sportcenter, a sporting goods and marine business in Parma, Ohio. He won Retailer Award for the United States in 1956, as well as "Man of the Year - 1961" in Parma. He left this business 14 years later with nothing financially, but spiritually he gained a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Of the numerous commitments he made to his community, two of the many rewarding roles he served were Scoutmaster of The Boys Scouts of America from 1960-1965 and the Parma Rotary Club as a Charter member and President.
In 1964 Bill joined The New England Life Insurance Company becoming, "Rookie of the Year" in 1965. He was named the Most Valuable Associate, leading the company nationally, while in the E. Clare Weber Agency in 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970 and 1971, also receiving the Vanguard Award in 1971.
In 1972, Bill founded The Koptis Organization, which continues today. Bill earned his Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation, then served on the CLU Cleveland Chapter Board of Directors 1974 -1977. Over the next several years Bill received numerous awards and recognition for his cutting edge creativity and high-level technical expertise. To mention just a few, Leader's Magazine National Editorial Board selected him as one of the "24 Most Outstanding Life Insurance Salesmen in the United States" in 1978. He is a 51-year member of the Million Dollar Round Table to include 40 years in Top of the Table. Bill served as President of the Association of Advanced Life Underwriters from 1980-1981.
Bill's firm The Koptis Organization was one of the early members and continues to remain a member of M Financial Group, a premier representative of insurance companies and firms in the United States.
One of Bill's greatest strengths was mentoring and teaching. Several of his protégés have gone on to have successful insurance careers. Bill and Ruth were blessed to be able to travel the world through his affiliation with the insurance industry.
Bill was a member of The Chapel (Akron) and Covenant Church PCA (Naples) where he used his wonderful voice to sing the Christian hymns he so loved. From 1970 through 1979, he was involved with Youth for Christ, and The Chapel's College & Career class as a teacher and counselor.
Through the years, Bill and Ruth hosted numerous Bible study groups in their home. Bill was an avid teacher of the Bible and loved sharing his Christian faith. He had a passion and desire to bring people to a commitment to Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. He wanted everyone 'to have his or her own story'.
Bill spent summers at their home in Canada with family and guests where he enjoyed painting, boating, fishing, playing his guitar and clarinet, as well as playing the board game, Aggravation!
Bill was famous for his fish fry dinners and feeding their beloved dogs "the leftovers". Bill and Ruth wintered in Naples, Florida where he enjoyed tennis and attending the Philharmonic Orchestra each season. They recently made Naples their permanent home.
Bill served on the Boards of The Master's College, The Gospel House, The Chapel of Akron, Stewardship Services Foundation and numerous other Boards. Additionally, he served as president of a distinguished roster of business and professional organizations, locally and nationally.
Bill admired and respected his business clients, living by the mottos, "He who serves best, serves most", "Service above self" and "Earn the right to serve".
The optimism and energy of Bill were strongly balanced with analytical bottom-line thinking that allowed him to focus instinctively on the needs of others. These attributes earned him the trust and confidence of the most astute leaders in the business community.
His family and so many more will dearly miss Bill.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the William H. Koptis, Jr. Christian Foundation, c/o The Koptis Organization, 9150 South Hills Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44147.
Bill's Celebration Service will be at The Chapel of Akron, 135 Fir Hill, Akron, Ohio, on Wednesday, April 20, 2016. The family will receive family and friends between 10:00 am - 11:15 am, with the service to follow at 11:30 am. Private burial at Rose Hill Burial Park. (Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel)