William “Bill” Copus, Jr
May 8, 1952 – May 27, 2024
William “Bill” Copus, Jr. departed this life peacefully, holding his daughter Sheena’s hand on May 27, 2024, at age 72. Billy, as he was affectionately known, was born on May 8, 1952, in Birmingham, Alabama, to William Copus, Sr., and Dean Hallman. His proudest accomplishment was his daughter, Dr. Sheena Stewart, and her beautiful family: the other Dr. Stewart and their four sons, Landon, William (his namesake), J.C., and Louis (his grandfather’s namesake).
Bill grew up as the oldest of three boys. As the eldest brother, he provided the occasional rough and tumble, a love for music, and the occasional fake ID to his favorite brothers, Scott and Larry. He was Scott’s original superhero and Larry’s conduit to the women. But if you knew Billy, you knew he was always in the shadow of his grandfather Louis Copus, the owner of Dixie Flooring Company. Bill graduated from Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Alabama, joined the Army, and attended Samford University.
Throughout his life, he found himself torn between two passions: the complex world of flooring and the open road of trucking. Behind the wheel, he earned the CB handle “Easy Rider,” and it was on these roads where he met his wife, Alecia. “Minnie Charger,” a New Orleans native, gave him a run for his money – standing only 5’2” on a good day, she was the only one who went toe to toe with his 6’4” red-haired temper!
While he called Birmingham home, he lived in St. Petersburg, Florida, for many years, moving in 1992 to Mobile, Alabama, where he and Alecia would spend the next 20+ years building lifelong friendships.
In 2015, after the passing of his wife, Bill (and his little dog Oscar) moved to Auburn, Alabama, to be closer to Sheena and the boys… but we all know he moved to be closer to his little buddy, Landon. Granddaddy always made special trips with his big rig to visit him and let him lounge in the sleeper. He also loved lying in his room with all the fans going – and if you know Landon, he still must have a fan on all the time!
In Auburn, he found a great community, including the Millers from the United Methodist Church and those at Timothy Manor. In particular, Rick Stone, who was a godsend to Sheena during Bill’s illness, along with Larry, Scott, Tammy, 8th floor at EAMC, and staff at Bethany House.
Bill was a great friend with a brilliant mind, the person everyone called when they were planning a road trip, and a master storyteller who drew everyone in to listen. The storytelling was unmatched, and these stories took on a life of their own, so Stewart later dubbed him “Big Fish” (must watch movie). While his tales were larger than life, for Sheena it began with bedtime stories about the adventures of Reroy.
Bill is survived by his only child, Sheena (Clarence) Stewart; two brothers, Scott (Tammy) Copus, and Larry Hallman; his adored grandsons, Landon, William, J.C., and Louis; uncle Bobby; nieces and nephews, Kacee, Matthew, Lee, Mikey, and Dillon; great-nieces, Magali and Charlotte; and great-nephew, Max; Copus cousins, Harold, Lynn, Lee, Terry, John, Frank, and Kathy; and his longtime friends, Denny Vickery, Danny Sprinkle, and Danny Rutledge.
He was preceded in death by the love of his life and wife of 30 years, Alecia Copus, his father, William Copus, Sr., his mother, Dean Hallman, and great-niece, Millie Sloan.
A private gathering will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2024. A celebration of life will be held on July 20, 2024, at Shoofly Farm from 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. Family and friends are asked to bring their greatest Bill Copus story to share. Finally, we leave this sentiment with you from Bill’s best friend, Midnight Express: “Old truckers never die, they just downshift!”