Michael Everett Coppinger, son of Michael P Coppinger and Anna (Murray) Coppinger, died peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on Saturday, March 14, 2020. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Betty (Bullock) Coppinger, his children Donna Naples and husband Jeff of Colchester; Gayle Ethier and husband Francis of Chaplin; Michael Coppinger Jr and wife Judy Podolny of East Windsor, Sandra Reed of Colchester, Mark Coppinger of North Franklin and Carlene Davila and her husband Olaf of Miami Florida. His sisters, Mary Ellen Dagon and her husband George of Old Saybrook, Theresa Ehrhardt of East Hartford and brother Kenneth Coppinger and his wife Carol of Clover, South Carolina. He was predeceased by his brother-in-law Daniel Ehrhardt. He leaves behind 15 grandchildren and their spouses and 12 great-grandchildren as well as many nieces and nephews. He was an East Hartford Firefighter from 1963 to 1991. He was a pioneer in emergency medicine. In the early 1970’s he traveled to Los Angeles, CA and Jacksonville, FL to research their paramedic programs and presented the information to the town government in East Hartford. Michael along with 7 other East Hartford Firefighters and 4 UCONN Firefighters spent the summer of 1975 at UCONN Health Center in Farmington in class and graduated on September 3rd 1975 becoming the very first paramedics in all of New England. He was an avid hunter all his life and after retirement purchased land in central NY where he, his brother, his sons, grandson, and nephew went on hunting trips every year.
A Memorial Mass will be held Monday June 7, 2021 at 10:00am at St Mary's Church 15 Maplewood Ave. East Hartford, CT. 06108.
