Stephen Martin Coppala

Stephen Martin Coppala, 72, of Charlotte, North Carolina, passed away

peacefully on January 8, 2026. Born on June 18, 1953, in Charlotte,

Steve was the son of Sue Rhodes Coppala and Leonard Wilson Coppala.

Steve graduated from Myers Park High School in 1971, attended Wingate

University, and later served as Vice President of Giant Genie

Corp. until his retirement in the late 1990s.

The oldest of five siblings, Steve was a man of many interests. He had a

lifelong love of German sports cars and Jeeps, was an avid collector of

watches and coins, and took great pride in his meticulously kept

yards—earning “Yard of the Month” honors wherever he lived. He also

found joy in caring for his aquariums and his beloved Shetland

Sheepdogs.

Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard Wilson Coppala and

Sue Rhodes Coppala, and his younger brother, David Ralph Coppala.

He is survived by his siblings: Lynn (John) Theobald, John (Lisa)

Coppala, and Catherine (Adnan) Choudary; six nieces and nephews, Michael

(Kaitlin) and Andrew (Kirsten) Theobald, Cameron and Mary Coppala, and

Anna and Makayla Choudary; four great-nieces and nephews, Finley,

Jonathan, Savannah, and Drew Theobald; and his first cousins, Susan

(Chuck) Graham, Jonathan (Sharon) LaDew, Martin (Terri) LaDew,

Robert (Patricia) LaDew, and Alayne White.

Memorial donations may be made to Holy Angels, 6600 Wilkinson Blvd.,

P.O. Box 710, Belmont, NC 28012. A private service will be held at

Sharon Memorial Park, Charlotte, North Carolina.