HUDSON FALLS – Doris West Coppins of Wall St, Hudson Falls, passed on with family at her bedside on July 20, 2014. In keeping with her humble and simple lifestyle, she requested no flowery obituary.
Born March 24, 1917 to Vivanna and Ina West, she was a lifelong follower of Christ. Her life philosophy was “Love thy neighbor as thyself”, and she did. She accepted everyone, judged no one and helped all who needed it along the way. She was a caretaker, a listener, a confidant and a friend. She was a collector, a reader, a gardener and a teacher of all things important. She fussed, she decorated, and she baked. The values of these things are her legacy.
Doris married Stephen Coppins later in life. They spent 17 loving years together, keeping house and traveling to the ocean each year.
Doe, as we all called her, was most proud of her 40 year tenure at Erlanger’s Fashions where she worked as head bookkeeper until the store closed. Upon her retirement, she made the trip of her lifetime; a car trip across the country to the wild west she had loved reading about. She packed her car, and along with 3 of “her kids”, she camped in a tent each night from New York to California and back!
In her later years, she was content to be at home. She loved her family, neighbors, her neighborhood, her birds, and her flowers. With the help of many wonderful caretakers, she was able to be in her home with the exception of the past few months.
Doris was predeceased by her parents, her brother Frederick West, her husband Stephen and her niece, Chrissy West. Left to cherish the gifts of her life is her brother Leon, (Shirley) West, and his children who were truly “her kids” in every way: Ellen Bombard and Evan of Gansevoort, Carol, Dave, Amanda and Hayley Linehan of South Glens Falls, Judy & Richard Ward, and Katherine Swinton of SGF, David, Laura, Elizabeth and Stephen West of Queensbury and Eric West, Krissy Donahue, and her son, Matt of SGF. She also leaves behind the many she called friends, especially Herb and Tom.
Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice.
Arrangements are entrusted to the Carleton Funeral Home, Inc., 68 Main Street in Hudson Falls.