Cora Jane Pope's Obituary
Cora Jane Pope, 87, of Presbyterian Village in Austell, GA, completed her heavenly transition on June 4, 2026 finally succumbing to a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was born in Matthews, Missouri in 1938. She graduated from Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas and Louisiana State University with a degree in psychology. She became a student at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia in 1961 where she met the love of her life, Samuel H. Pope, who was also entering seminary that Fall of 1961. Cora Jane and Sam were married while he was still in seminary in Richmond on Groundhog Day’s Eve in 1963.
Cora Jane went to seminary to be an educator and spent her entire life as a teacher in many different impactful ways. Whether she was teaching school age students or her family and friends the importance of standing up for civil justice and making a difference in the world, she was always listening and learning for the next lesson. She was by nature an inquisitive woman in a world that was dominated by the intellectualism of men. Although she was the wife of a Presbyterian minister, she never let that define who she was as she remained very much her own person by being guided by her curiosity. She had a wicked smile and an infectious laugh that enveloped her warm and generous spirit. And she was always interested in what was going on in your life and made everyone feel included and special in her world.
She would always welcome a conversation about important and challenging topics. She would throw herself into the research and come up with an answer or a different angle that would enrich the discussion. Due to the nature of the Presbyterian church ministry, Sam and Cora Jane moved to different churches all over the South, with stops from New Orleans to Little Rock to Birmingham and Huntsville to Chapel Hill before settling in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas where they spent 13 fruitful years before Sam retired in 2006. It was there that she became a church administrator while being an eager participant in church and community activities. A particular interest led to her involvement with the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance ministry with her special contribution as a coordinator of volunteers working to respond to disaster-stricken areas.
After retirement, they spent the next part of their life traveling to other parts of the South as Sam was an interim minister for churches in transition. She enjoyed the opportunity and challenge to collaborate with Sam in the development of programs that addressed the needs of churches in their journeys during their interim period.
She enjoyed going to Montreat in the North Carolina mountains for theological conferences with Sam and her friends. She was a very friendly and generous person who always had a group of friends that she enjoyed spending time with wherever her life travels may have taken her. She was happiest when she was with her family and friends in the mountains or at the beach in North Carolina sitting on the screen porch listening to the waves crashing and telling her funny stories of life’s adventures.
But the most important part of Cora Jane’s life was her family. Her son, Bryan David was born in 1966 and daughter, Mary Elizabeth came next in 1971. Cora Jane spent their early years at home making sure her children had a positive and nurturing environment during their school years as she also continued to support Sam in his ministry as he grew into a leader and gifted preacher with her loving encouragement and advice. After final retirement from the church, Sam and Cora Jane relocated to the Atlanta area to be near their daughter’s family as they had their granddaughter, Ella Rose, who was born in 2014 to enjoy spending time and being with the newest member of her family. It was here that they became actively involved in the life of Trinity Presbyterian Church. She particularly enjoyed being in intellectually challenging classes that brought memories of their years in the seminary as the circle of their lives together became very real and an important part of their final chapter together.
Cora Jane had an appreciation of fine pottery as she and her one of her best friends, Peggy McNeill from Huntsville and Raleigh, would travel to all parts of North Carolina to acquire pieces for her cherished collection.
Cora Jane also had a lifelong love of horses and was an accomplished barrel rider in her early years. She also loved her dogs as she developed a passion for Corgis as the family had several of the beloved four short-legged companions over the years. The characteristics of Corgis embodied Cora Jane’s best attributes; friendly, affectionate, loyal and loving
Cora Jane is survived by her husband of 63 years, Samuel H. Pope, her son, Bryan David Pope and his wife, Cheryl, of Dallas, Texas and her daughter, Mary Elizabeth Davis and her husband, Avery, of Marietta, Georgia and her granddaughter Ella Rose Davis and her step granddaughter, Naomi Fox of Marietta as well as her brothers, Charles Clark and his wife, Tanna, of Hot Springs, Arkansas and Mark Clark of Little Rock, Arkansas. She was preceded in death by her father, Charles Arbie Clark and mother, Audra Jane Clark.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers that donations be made to either Presbyterian Disaster Assistance which provides financial assistance to communities adversely affected by crises and catastrophic events or to The Alzheimer’s Association which funds research into a cure for this cruel disease. A memorial service will be held on Friday, June 12, at 1 pm at the Dobbs Chapel at Trinity Presbyterian Church with a reception to follow. The family will have a private service at Montreat Memorial Garden at a later date.
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