Dwayne E. Copple

Dwayne Copple passed away on January 28, 2020, after a brief illness. He was 80 years old.

Born in Omak, WA and raised in Okanogan, WA, Dwayne’s family roots ran deep in “apple country” – 3 generations deep. But he had big aspirations and dreams, so he moved to Seattle after high school to attend the University of Washington. It was there that he met the love of his life, Claire Peck. They each attended the same Zeta Psi fraternity outing at Stehekin in 1959, each with different dates. They ended up playing bridge together that weekend and sparks flew. Dwayne and Claire were married on June 16, 1961.

After graduating with honors (and in 3 years), from the University of Washington. Dwayne continued his academic career at the UW School of Law where he was on Law Review and, again, graduated with honors. Throughout his working life, he practiced law at LeSourd & Patton, created his own firm, Copple, McLaughlin, Ferm, and Wade, and finished his very successful career at Williams Kastner. He was a business attorney and was deeply proud of the bond he built with his clients and his unimpeachable standard of ethics.

Dwayne was brilliant. He could read three books at a time and tell you what page you could find an interesting quote or point of interest in any of the three books he was reading…or even from a book, he’d read years before. He was an accomplished piano player and was passionate about classical music. He had a quirky and hilarious sense of humor – a huge fan of Jack Benny, Monty Python and anything starring Steve Martin. There were a few times when he laughed so hard, he cried, and when that happened his laugh was several octaves above his normal voice and brought everyone around him to his level of hilarity. It was seriously, pure joy. His pets always held a special place in his heart and his face would visibly soften when he was with them or even just talking about them. He loved to travel and visited much of the world with his family. He made many sacrifices over the years to make sure his wife and children experienced the world. Even in the past few weeks, he was actively planning a trip to Croatia for this coming summer.

He built his home on Bainbridge Island in 1970 on South Beach Drive when there were only a handful of houses there. When South Beach Drive started booming, he sought out a more private spot for his family and settled into what would become his dream home on Arrow Point Loop. He spent countless hours looking at the Olympic Mountains from his deck and reading in an old Adirondack chair. He never took that view for granted.

Dwayne was thrilled when both of his children moved back to the Island. How lucky we all were to be so close to him as he watched his grandchildren grow. He was a truly loving and adoring grandfather and his grandchildren adored him right back.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Claire Copple, children Andrew Copple and Katie (Shawn) Sweeney, grandchildren Conor Sweeney and Claire Sweeney, sister Maris Copple, and his latest “favorite dog”, Tuffy.

A private family service is planned for this spring.

In lieu of flowers, Dwayne would have loved donations made in his name to Bainbridge Island Public Library or Kitsap Humane Society.


Arrangements are entrusted to Cook Family Funeral Home of Bainbridge Island.