Champ Stopher

Champ Samuel Stopher, Jr., age 93, passed away at home on Thursday, September 12, 2019. Champ grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, and was one of three children born to Champ and Harriet Stopher. He attended the University of Kentucky where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce. He was an active member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. After college, Champ joined the US Navy and proudly served our country, first in World War II from 1944-1945, and then in the Korean War from 1950-1952. He moved his family to Sarasota, Florida in 1968 and began a career as a stock broker and financial advisor which spanned nearly 40 years, until he retired in 2006. Champ was a member of The Field Club. He loved the water and was an avid sailor. He and his wife Mary took many boating trips with their friends and family, and Champ always enjoyed the opportunity to teach others the joys of sailing. Champ was an active member of Church of the Redeemer, and he volunteered at the Resurrection House. He loved to read, and also loved to cheer on his favorite team, the Kentucky Wildcats. He was a devoted husband and loving father. He was known by all for his honesty, integrity and fair mindedness. He was a calm, guiding presence in the lives of his family members. His first thought was always for others, and he quietly did all that he could to take care of them. He was a gentle person and a true gentleman. He was an inspiration to his daughters and his wife Mary, and he will be dearly missed. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister Dorothy, and his bother Robert. He is survived by his wife, Mary, and his three daughters: Marilyn Snook (Richard), Harriet Stopher, Carolyn Untz (Jeff). He also leaves behind his stepdaughter Frances O'Reilly (Tom), stepson Fred Hollingsworth, and granddaughters Amy Snook, Sophie Hollingsworth and Emma Hollingsworth. A Requiem Mass will be held Friday September 20 at 11:30am at Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota, Florida followed by a reception in the parish hall. The burial will take place afterwards at Sarasota National Cemetery at 3:00pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to your favorite charity.

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Champ Stopher

August 7, 1926 - September 12, 2019