He was born in Great Bend, Kansas on June 18, 1929.
The family briefly lived in Wichita, Kansas and then moved to Coldwater, Kansas in 1934.
Earl attended all grades in Coldwater. He graduated high school in 1947, and during his senior year, Earl won Kansas state high hurdles. After graduation Earl went to the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas where he studied business. Earl graduated from KU with a Bachelor's Degree in 1951, and joined the Air Force. He was first stationed in Wichita, Kansas and then on to Korea, to work in the auditor general’s office.
After serving in the Air Force, Earl went to work for Communication Accessories and then King Radio in Olathe, Kansas. Earl retired from King Radio.
Earl was very active in the Kansas City Outdoor Club, and served as that group's president for several years.
In 1995, Earl married Betty Bennett Moore and they relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico where they lived for 21 years. In 2017, the Kopkes moved to Raymore, Missouri.
Earl is preceded in death by his mother, Jenny Kopke, his father, Herbert Kopke, his sister Ada Kopke Wiedemann, his niece, Mary Ellen Wiedemann and his brother, Charles Kopke.
He leaves his wife, Betty Bennett Kopke and her two children, 10 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
Interment will be at Mount Moriah Cemetery South in Kansas City, Missouri.
