Joseph R. Coup, of Williamsport, passed away in the early morning hours of Sept. 1, 2012, after a short stay at ManorCare North, with his sister by his side. Joe had been diagnosed with liver cancer two years ago and, being the very private person he was, he chose to not share this information with anybody until a few days before his death.
Joe was born on Oct. 1, 1950, in Williamsport, Pa., the son of Robert W. Coup and Mary Keller Coup, who predeceased him. Joe had attended St. Boniface Church and St. Boniface Elementary School in his youth. He graduated with the class of 1968 from Williamsport High School.
In the 1970s, Joe was hired to work for the summer in the outdoor garden department at Neyhart's, Inc., a former mainstay of Williamsport's downtown shopping district. He was kept on to work in the housewares department, eventually becoming the department manager, until the store closed. At that time, he bought out the housewares department and opened a small shop which he named "Mary Lib's" in honor of his former employer and mentor, Mary Lib Stockwell, who preceded Joe in death by just a few days. When Joe decided it was time for a change, he took a position with Enesco, of Itaski, Ill., a large giftware distributor that had been one of the suppliers of his shop, and traveled to a large number of gift shops in Pennsylvania as Enesco's sales representative for the past 21 years.
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Joseph R. Coup
Joe was a great sports fan and especially cheered on the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Steelers. In his younger years, he played golf frequently at White Deer Golf Course and he also enjoyed fishing in the local streams.
Joe is survived by his sister, Deborah Coup Merrill, and her children, John (Stacy), William and Tiffany (Mike) Beeman. He is also survived by great-nephews and nieces, Alexa Fox, William Merrill, Joshua Fox, Seth Merrill, Bryce Merrill and Emilee Merrill. Joe was a thoughtful and caring brother and uncle and will be very much missed, especially at Easter and Thanksgiving when he hosted the family dinners.
At Joe's request, he will be cremated and there will be no services; a celebration of his life will be held on Monday, Sept. 9, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Jeremiah's, 229 W. Fourth St., Williamsport. Everyone who knew Joe is invited to attend and share their memories of him. Donations in memory of Joe may be made to the local SPCA, the American Rescue Workers or the Salvation Army.
Kaufman Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Inc.
