My condolences and sincere sympathy to my life-long 'classmate', Linda, and her family. Sending you a huge hug across the miles. Please keep in touch.

Kenny Morgan

Linda,

It is so great to have a father-in-law like Steve Kopalchick. Someone who listens when there are difficulties in life, a marathon training partner, a kind word when needed, a "cat that ate the canary smile", and a "Gah. Earl! What in the world are you doing?" when it was needed. Steve and I could argue and still be good friends. We would watch Jeopardy together and compete to see who would get the most right answers. I think I won 2 or 3 games out of about 50. I will miss our short telephone calls and 4 to 17 mile runs. I will miss the joy my son had in his face when "Papa" was sending him money to help him buy his guitar. I will miss the comfort my wife received after a phone call from her dad, telling her he was okay and would be up to see her soon. I will miss the quiet presence of a cross-legged grunter watching a Notre Dame game in the living room. I will miss calling him and saying "Did you see that catch! Awesome! They are going all the way this year!" just to hear him respond "I saw it. I saw it. I'll talk to you later. Bye." I will miss verbalizing and dreaming about the next business endeaver we were going to attempt to tackle. I miss my friend.

Dear Stephanie, Steven and family,
I was so saddened to hear about the passing of Mr. Kopalchick. Although I did not know him personally, from what I have read of the other postings here, he sounds like someone I would have enjoyed knowing. I know that you will miss him terribly. The loss of a parent brings with it many bittersweet memories that over time become even more precious. What a joy it will be some day in the future when you all are reunited with him in heaven. Until then, he is rejoicing in being in the presence of the Lord, surrounded by loved ones and waiting for you to join him again. But for those who remain on earth, there is still that ache and void left by the loss of one so dear. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Love, Linda

Earl, Kendra and Family,
While you are surrounded with loved ones in Virginia, there's a whole group of loved ones here in New York who are upholding your entire family in prayer. As we are saddened by your sudden loss, there is joy in knowing Jesus as our Lord and Savior and knowing that you will someday see your dad again.
We love you.

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal live, and they shall never perish" John 10:27-28

Kendra, May you and your family find comfort in the arms of our loving God. We send our love and prayers to you all.

The Woodwards

Dear Linda, Kendra, Earl and family,

Please know that while you are supported in Virginia with your church family Linda, that there is a sister church in Buffalo that is praying for you and for the Leatherlands that we love so much as well.

May God's presence be more real to you than you ever experienced, and may you be comforted in the hope of the resurrection secured by our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jerry Gillis and The Chapel at CrossPoint family

Dear Leatherland Family,
We are so sorry for your loss. Please know that you are in our prayers daily and that we love you!
Love,
The Bessel Family

Dear Kopalchick family,

Ralph and I have been praying for you and your extended family from the minute we heard the news of Kendra's step-father's death.

You are being lifted up in prayers daily for God's comfort and grace to be with you and will continue to pray for you in coming days.

Your faithfulness and witness has been showered on us by having Earl and Kendra in New York.

Sincerely,
Ralph and Linda Penn

Dear Leatherlands,
We are praying for you during this time of sudden loss. We count it a privilege to serve with you in ministry and are lifting you, your mom and family up to the Father. We miss you all,
Scott, Michelle & Silas

Dear Kopalchick family, We've never met but I work with Earl and Kendra Leatherland at the Chapel at Elmwood and would like to extend my heartfelt condolences on the tragic loss of Kendra's dad. I know there are no words that can take away your pain at this time, but be assured that your family is being lifted up before God's throne in prayer by many whose lives you have touched. We are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. God bless, Rose

Dear Kopalchick family,

What deep sorrow we feel with you. You have been in our heartfelt prayers and the meditation of our hearts. We are asking the Lord to comfort you with an extraordinary peace that passes all understanding. As days and weeks pass by, may the steadfast love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit guard you, and sustain you, and cause you to be made whole in Him.

Know that you have friends in Sterling that love you. If we can help in any way, please do not hessitate to call. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May He turn His face toward you and grant unto you His peace. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Love and Prayers,
Craig, Paula, & Samuel Caylor

Kendra, Earl & family,
Please know you are in our thoughts and prayers. As friends we share your pain and as brothers and sisters in Christ we celebrate your Dad's new life!
May your many memories of him and your steadfast faith carry you through this time.

Harold, Andrea, Natalie & Nathanael Harden

Dear Stephen, Stephanie and the family,

We are sorry to hear about your father's passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. May the Lord give you His comfort and fill your hearts with His everlasting Peace.

Blessings,

Shadi and Cynthia Sharaiha

Earl, Kendra & Family,
You are all being remembered in our prayers. May God bless you and comfort you all during the time. We know you find peace in knowing your dad is with God now and he'll be looking down through the "holes in the floor of Heaven"...Our love and sympathy to your mom and whole family.

With deepest sympathy. We are holding your family up in prayer during this time.

Jeff and Julie Bauer

Linda and the Kopalchick Family,

I am truly saddened by the passing of Steve better known to me as “Frosty”. I gave him that nickname because he always found a way to smile even through the worst of times that tried to melt him inside. Just like the snowman, he tried to find a brighter angle to view everything. I would like to share these words with you and your family, they sincerely express the person who became my friend and instilled in me, “To Never Give Up”.

How will Steve’s life be valued?

What will matter is not what Steve brought, but what he choose to build
Not what he received, but what he shared and gave to you and me.
What will matter is not the level of his success, but his significance.
What will matter is not what he learned, but what he has taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage and sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate from his example.
What will matter is not competence but his integrity and character, his true grit.
What will matter is not how many people he knew, rich or poor
But how many will feel a lasting loss now that he is gone.

I am one of those people. Please know that you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers. May GOD comfort each of you during this time and embrace you in his unconditional love.

With My Deepest Sympathy,
Tamekiah A. Aguirre

We are so very saddened to hear of Steve's passing. His integerity,fairness, and appreciation of others was demonstrated daily during our brief acquaintance.
He lived with a great belief in others and as you know was a great man.
Our prayers are with you and your family.
Roger and Sharon in Roanoke

To the loved ones of Mr. Stephen Kopalchick,

Kopalchick was a valued co-worker and well-respected by all of us who were fortunate to have teamed with him at Hopewell High School.May the Lord bless and keep you all.

Walter Broner and Family

Dear Kopalchick Family,
My deepest and most sincere condolences for your loss.
Some of the best memories of my youth include Big Steve and his family. His willingness to share his home and time with me has stuck w/ me throughout my life. My love and enthusiasm for Notre Dame football began at your home on Saturday afternoons.

May God comfort you and guide you through this difficult time.

Respectfully,
Robert "Bobby" Leggett III

Dear Stephen and Stephanie: We were very sad to learn about the death of Stephen´s father, and our hearts go out to you in this moment of grief. His life seems so short, and yet how fully he lived it!! Thank you for sharing some of it with us, and giving us a glimpse of such a good man. We send special condolences to his dear wife Linda, and to all the Kopalchick family, and our fondest love to both of you and Isaac, Guideon, and Scarlet. "Un gran abrazo de los tíos" Betty and Luis

Dear Linda,

Ted and I were shocked to hear of your loss. It isn't computing. May God sustain you in each moment, and grant you that "peace that passes all understanding."

Love and prayers,
The Shuler family (Ted, Saralee, Taylor, Emma and Abby)

The Kopalchick Family;

I was so saddened to hear of Steve's passing, he was always there when you needed him, at HHS when we went to school together, and at HHS when he worked as the Principles of Technology teacher, and I was the Vocational Secretary.

I always told him he was my guardian angel, from Mallonee School when he gave me a special folder that Mrs. Johnson required and I hadn't bought, to HHS when he drove some paperwork to the Department of Education for me. I never knew anyone more kind, sincere, and giving, with a heart of gold.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family. I know it will be hard without him, but he left such a presence in all of our lives, that his memory will always be alive in our hearts.

He will find his just reward and peace in heaven, for all the good deeds he did for all of us here on earth.

Barbara Scott
HHS

Dear Kopalchick Family~

I am so sorry to hear about Mr. Kopalchick's passing. Mr. Kopalchick was a great man. He had a gentle spirit about him and would always have an encouraging word for you. Although it has been a while since those days in Hopewell (HHS, Woodlawn Baptist Church, etc.), I will always remember Mr. Kopalchick's words of encouragement, silent strength, and most of all his smile.

May God bring your family a sense of strength, peace, and understanding that HE alone is able to give. Psalms 30:5, Psalms 23:6

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

With deepest sympathy,

Carolyn Bowman

Dear friend Stephen and family,

We were very saddened to hear about your loss. We are believing that the Holy Spirit of God is bringing comfort to you and loved ones in this time.

We love you!

Joshua and Jussara Lingel

To the family of Mr. Kopalchick,
I am a fellow survivor and a member of SNAP. Although I only met Steve once his story and perseverance gave me hope when I most needed it. He will be remembered for speaking out for those that couldn't find their voices. He will be greatly missed.

Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Becky Ianni

To Linda and the family,
I was glad to have seen and spoke with you and Steve at that anniversary event.I appreciate all that your family meant to me during the years we attended church together.
I know you have many,many friends that will also be saddened by Steves passing.
I thought Steve was an awesome Christian man!
I know he has left an incredible legacy to the family because of his faith.

Dear Linda,
I was so sorry to hear of your loss. A person lives on in the hearts of those who loved him, and Steve obviously left many memories to many people.
Michael

Dear Stephen and the entire Kopalchick family,
We are deeply saddened by this news. Stephen was a loving, caring and meek brother and friend. We are certain that now he is enjoying God's presence. May the hope of the gospel and the presence of the Holy Spirit sustain your souls in this time of mourning.
With prayers and sympathy,
Hernandez family

Linda:
I'm tremendously saddened and sorrowful about Steve's passing. Please accept my heartfelt sympathy and extend my condolences to the rest of your family. The stories that you and I have shared about our respective grandchildren are so much more meaningful now. I did not know Steve that well or that long but it didn't take that much time to recognize that Steve was a very special person. You and your family will always be in my thoughts.

Dear Linda,
Iam so sorry for your loss. Steve was always good to me and hannah. Our prayers are with you and the family.

Linda and family,
My condolences on your loss. I enjoyed Steve's insights about work as well as his encouragement of my running. Now I wish I had run the Richmond Marathon with him the year he tried to talk me into it.
Norbert

Dear Stephen and the entire Kopalchick family,

You have my family's most sincere sympathy. We are praying that the grace of God will keep you and comfort you in ways that you can not even fathom. We are saddened by the loss because we miss those we love, but just remember that to live is Christ and to die is gain. Mr. Kopalchick has gained his eternal reward and that is why we live.

Be encouraged and comforted in your time of sorrow.

The Howard Family

Dear Stephen, Stephanie, Ms. Kapalchick and family,

Mr. Kopalchick offered me great advice and support during my years in Hopewell (I was never his student, but I knew him through sports and the Interact Rotary Club, which he sponsored). I found him to be sincere and am grateful to have known him during those important years. I have to reiterate Amber's thoughtful recollection of Mr. Kopalchick's smiling face and warm hugs at our HHS games. It saddens me to hear of his passing. My thoughts and prayers are with your family.

Kopalchick Family,
We are so deeply sorry to hear of Big Steve's passing. As a youth I have so many fond memories of playing football and basketball over at your house in Hopewell. I'm sure Stephen remembers his dad playing QB for us and having a great time in the lot behind your house. He was a great man and an awesome dad, and while I hadn't seen him in a while, he will truly be missed. God Bless you guys and we will continue to be in prayer for you and your entire family.

Dear Linda and Family,

My heartfelt empathy to you. Our Heavenly Father is a very present help in this most difficut time.

Love and Prayers,
Virginia

Linda my dear sister and your precious family,I am so sorry for your loss but I am assured in my heart that God will hold you all in his hand and bring you comfort and great peace thoughout the days and months ahead because I know this is what Steve's prayer was because of the kind of man he was. I know Steve will want you to draw strength from this and use the experience to help someone along the way. That is because, that is just what Steve was all about. Helping and loving others. Sharing and caring for those in need.
Our family would have been blessed just to have known Steve, but God shined his love on us when he sent him to you as your husband because we had the honor and pleasure of sharing his love and compassion and for that we are a better people.
I will miss him so much because of the friendship he shared with me. Steve's example will cause me to strive to be a better person as I continue my journey in life.
I love you and your children with all my heart and I pray for continued peace to each of you.

Love,
Your sister
Cheryl Johnson Hilderbrand

Linda and Family,

I am in shock at hearing of Steve's passing. I wish everyone could be as amiable as Steve was to deal with - especially on the difficult and sensitive subjects we handled. Words cannot express the depth of my sorrow for you and your family. Please know you are all in my thoughts and prayers.

Tina

We are so sorry for the loss of your Husband.
May God comfort you and help you " Weather This Storm "

Bernie & Anna(Friends of Polk and Lois)

Linda,

I am very sorry to hear about Steve's passing. I have a lot of fond memories of Steve at church, on the softball field and at sporting events. He had such a kind heart and warm smile. I know that his children will carry forward his legacy proudly. You are in our prayers.

Kevin and Jennifer Moore

To the Family I was so sad to here of Mr. K's passing. That was my nickname for him because when I frist meet him, I had a hard time saying his name as he did mine. So I asked if I could call him Mr. K he smiled and answered me whenever I called him or spoke hi Mr K.

Linda,

My heart is heavy today after hearing of Steve's passing. As you know, I had the pleasure of working with you and him and it didn't take long for me to realize what a caring person he was. A couple of years ago, Steve mysteriously came to my aid and went to bat for me. Without Steve I would have given up on something I had been fighting for...my rights, and he wasn't about to have that. He supported me all the way and for that and his friendship he will always have a place in my heart.

Sabrina Embrey

I am truly sorry for your loss. I will always remember my buddy Steve. He and I shared a remarkable sense of humor together. He will be missed!!

Hal & Ashley Hazelton

LINDA: MY HEART GOES OUT TO ALL OF U. I WILL NEVER FORGET OUR TRIP TO ARIZONIA TO THE FOOTBALL GAME. FORGOT THE YEAR. I AM GLAD THAT I HAVE THAT MEMORY B/C I THOT A LOT OF STEVE. GOD BLESS.

Linda:
I am so saddened to hear of Steve "K's" passing. He was a very caring boss. I will never forget how caring and patient he was when I was pregnant. I will always remember his great stories about you, the kids and grand kids. My thoughts are with you and the family at this difficult time.

Tammy Grubb

Linda and Family,
I am so deeply saddened to hear about Steve passing away. I am truly going to miss him. You and the family are in my heart, thoughts, and prayers. Please let me know if you need anything at all.

Deepest Sympathy,
Casey, Dustin, Kascee, and Kelsey

Our condolences to Linda Kopalchick in the death of her husband, Stephen. We were out of town Friday and Saturday. We are sorry we were not here to help her.
Please give her our best.

Eldridge and Beckie Brock

Linda and Family:

My Linda and I are so saddened by this news. I truly enjoyed working with Steve during his tenure here at HUD and specifically here in Multifamily. He will be sorely missed.
-cf-

Linda ,

I am so sad to hear about Steve's passing. I will always remember what a wonderful person he was. He will be greatly missed. Please know that the entire family is in my thoughts and prayers. -- Love and Gentle Blessings

To the family of Mr. Kopalchick,

I am so saddened to learn of Mr. Kopalchick's passing. He was my Algebra II teacher at HHS for one year and I can remember how his patience and kindness helped me through the class, as math was not my strong subject. I am now a teacher and I can only hope to be as patient and as kind as he was. Please know you all are very much in my thoughts and prayers. He will truly be missed by all who had the joy of knowing him.

My dearest Linda and family,

I was deeply saddened when I learned about Steve's passing. Please accept my heartfelt sympathies for your loss. My thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time. Please let me know if I can help in any way.

Cathy Roseberry

Linda,
I was saddened to hear of Steve's passing. My heart goes out to you and your family during this difficult time.

To the family of Mr. Kopalchick...
How very saddened I am to learn of such a great man's passing! I am sure I can speak for many many young adults that attended HHS, that Mr. Kopalchick was one of the most sincere teachers you could have had throughout your High School Years. He was always there for you no matter what and so dedicated to his students. I pray that God will give you strength to get thru this difficult time. With Deepest Sympathy, you all are in my prayers.
Hilary Aderholt Warthan

Dearest Kopalchick Family....I just don't know where to begin. I am so very, very sad to hear of Mr. Kopalchick's sudden passing. He truly was one of my favorite teachers (I had him one year for math). He was so patient (I wasn't the best math student!) and it was always so nice to see his friendly face in the hallways at HHS when I was there with Stephen (we graduated together in 1995). I also remember him showing up at HHS basketball games and giving me a huge hug as I worked the doors with my fellow cheerleaders, selling programs. I know one thing~God has a wonderful angel in Heaven, as I always remember Mr. Kopalchick's deep faith in Him.

Without a doubt, this will be a very difficult time for all of you, and I know God will hold you close and give you comfort. Remember all the wonderful times you had with him and know that he had such an impact on the lives of others. I know he will be so greatly missed.

With many thoughts and prayers,
The Turner Family
Amber (Breeden), Jeff, and Kenden