Basil Copley
Lewis & Gillum Funeral Homes
28 Harding Avenue, Jackson, OH 45640
(p) 740-286-2010 (f) 740-286-5640
Lewis & Gillum Funeral Homes
28 Harding Avenue, Jackson, OH 45640
(p) 740-286-2010 (f) 740-286-5640
Basil Copley, age 90, departed life on Aug. 1, 2024, at his home in Jackson, Ohio. Basil was born June 19, 1934, in Delbarton W. Va., son of the late Henry and Virgie (Ferrell) Workman Copley.
Basil leaves to remember and miss him sons, Mike Copley and Jeff Copley of Jackson, Ohio; daughter, Susan L. Hollback of Jackson, Ohio; brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Peggy Copley of Davenport, Florida; grandchildren: Tiffany, Ashley, Greg, Emily, Sierra, and Travis.
In addition to his parents, Basil is preceded in death by his wife of 71 years, Barbara Rosalene (Leach) Copley; his brothers, Wilburn Workman Jr., William Allen Workman, and Franklin Delano Copley; and his sisters Elzie Mae Starr and Fannie Lou Ward.
Basil worked at Kimball Glass company in Columbus Ohio - his favorite job. After he and Barbara moved from Columbus,Ohio to Oak Hill, Ohio, he worked 16 years in the silica brick set gang for Cambria Clay in Blackfork and Davis Brick Plant in Jackson. He then worked as Industry Manager at Chillicothe Prison Industries, managing 10 Supervisors and 400 inmates who built and installed snowplows, salt spreaders, and truck beds for all state highway trucks in Ohio, as well as operating machine shops, paint shops, and furniture and mattress factories. After 26 years at the prison, he retired and drove a truck for the Waterloo gravel company. Throughout all his working years in his evenings he did a little farming and built homes.
Basil had many hobbies throughout his life, the earliest was driving very fast, according to his wife. He also enjoyed boating, water skiing, and racing horses. His most loved hobby though was “anything cars” from transmissions to engines, bodywork, and painting, it didn’t seem to matter. He bought his 1937 Ford Coupe in 1958 and kept it as original as possible since then. He spent many hours in the garage early on with Mike and Mike’s friends, then Jeff and Eddie, some with Greg, and Charles, and many others down through the years, always in, under, and around cars. And, if he could’ve, to his last day, he would still have loved to drive very fast.
He was a guy who was very dedicated to family, he was generous with his time as well as his unfathomable talents. When his kids asked him how he did all the things that he did, he’d just say something like, “I started working with my dad when I was twelve, I just learned how to work.” It seemed like anything he took an interest in; he was good at. We can hope we have all learned from him and his generation, how to do right, how to work right, so we can somehow take pride in what we do but not be prideful and know that what we do has meaning when we do for others as well as ourselves.
Calling hours will be held on Monday, August 5th, 2024, from 6-8PM at the Lewis & Gillum Funeral Home of Jackson. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, August 6th, 2024, at 1PM at the funeral home with Pastor Clyde Ferrell officiating. Burial will follow at Fairmount Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent to www.lewisgillum.com.
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