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By Dennis Wright - dwright@phoenixvillenews.com
PHOENIXVILLE — The Phoenixville Area School District Wall Of Fame welcomed two new members, Donald J.L. Coppedge and Vincent G. Daher (posthumously), during an induction ceremony at the Phoenixville Area High School (PAHS) Tuesday night.
Class of 2008 President Alexandra Allen led the presentation with the American flag.
Wall Of Fame committee chairman Henry F. Coyne Jr., educator and coach, asked PAHS Assistant Principal Craig Parkinson to lead the crowd of 110 in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Dr. David R. Noyes, Superintendent of Schools, welcomed everyone in attendance.
“I mentioned to the school board about having a Wall of Fame back in 2004,” said Noyes. “I was sitting in my office with the parents of [the late] David Bernstein and we were looking to see how we could honor him, and we decided the two should go hand
in hand. I’m so proud to have been a part of this.”
Inaugural Wall of Fame recipient David Bernstein was valedictorian for PASD Class of 1997, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was killed in action in Iraq in 2003.
Previous honorees include Bernstein in 2004, Richard A. Kunsch in 2005, Catherine Sabol Varady and Thomas Gene Grubbs in 2006 and Anthony F. Zabicki Sr. and William D. Kelley Jr. in 2007.
Coyne read from the Wall of Fame mission statement.
“The mission of the Phoenixville Area School District Wall of Fame is to recognize the contributions of graduates, current or former employees, volunteers and friends of the district. These individuals have achieved noteworthy and outstanding accomplishments in their chosen fields or in service to the district and has served as role models for students currently enrolled in the Phoenixville Area School District.”
After Vincent’s son George and Coppedge lit the peace candles in front of the podium, presentation comments by George and Wendy Kelly were made.
“It is with great honor that we nominate Vincent G. Daher for the Phoenixville High School Wall of Fame,” said George. “Without hesitation, we believe he is worthy of this distinction. He was a man who dedicated his entire professional life, 35 years, to Phoenixville Area High School and positively impacted the lives of thousands of students during his career.”
George spoke about his father’s contributions to the athletic, history and administrative departments of the high school.
“We are confident that no one in Phoenixville’s long history has worn as many titles as Mr. Daher,” he said.
Daher started in 1951 as an assistant football coach and history teacher, and by 1955, he was the head football coach during what George called the “direst period of Phoenixville’s football history.”
“He had 27 candidates for the football team, and Phoenixville was outsized and outnumbered, suffered through several losing seasons, and Coach Daher felt the wrath of the Phoenixville community,” he said. “He persevered and went on to build our first Ches-Mont Championship team in 1959.”
George said that Daher was promoted to Assistant Principal in 1969, and then became Principal in 1981, where he remained until he retired in 1984.
“Many changes transpired at PAHS during Mr. Daher’s career,” he said. “He took all of his various job responsibilities to heart.”
Kelly spoke about the qualities a person should possess to become a permanent fixture on the Wall of Fame.
“An individual placed on the Wall of Fame should be a person of remembrance,” said Kelly. “A person devoted to the Phoenixville area, noble in all the work done here and has a positive outlook of the imminent. Devoted, noble and positive are qualities that came into mind in this nomination of Donald J.L. Coppedge.”
Kelly said that Coppedge is continuously positive about everything involved with Phoenixville.
“He continues to work in improving the image and the future of Phoenixville,” she said. “He has developed a reputation for being an informed person, a person to talk with for any work of service done in the Phoenixville area.
“When Don talks, people listen, not because it’s a lecture but because it’s known that his messages are always heart-felt and soul-melt. The achievements by Don and individuals like him have allowed their service to speak louder than their words. Now it is time for the Phoenixville Area School District to do the same.”
Allen and Chloe Leech, 2008 class vice-president of PAHS, took turns reading plaque inscriptions and unveiling the honorees’ plaques.
Coyne surprised both honorees by presenting them with their own plaques.
While George graciously accepted the plaque for his father, Coppedge received a standing ovation as he walked to the podium.
“You gotta have faith and hope,” said Coppedge. “I’m honored to be selected to be on this Wall of Fame.”
He told the story of how he was cut from his high school baseball team, but due to two players being uneligible to play, the coach called him back to the team.
“I stayed and played ever since,” he said.
Coppedge thanked his wife, “She’s been a champion for me,” his two sons, “My left hand and right hand,” and acknowledged his older sister Margaret, his brother-in-law Kenneth Mitchell, Reverend George Beachum and Reverend Nathan Coleman. He also mentioned his late sister, Debbie Mitchell.
“I love you for what we are,” he concluded. “We are going to make Phoenixville better with the help of God.”
The ceremony concluded with Coyne leading everyone in attendance in the singing of the PAHS Alma Mater. A reception was held in the high school cafeteria.
The Wall Of Fame Committee is chaired by Coyne with members Gene Grubbs, Pam Heist, Richard Kaskey, Angie Ng, Noyes, Fred Parry, Aamina Thornton and Cathy Varady.
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