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 Samuel
Thomas "Sam" Cofer
Volunteer,
St. Simons Island Fire Department
Born: January
24, 1921 Died:
October 19, 2002
Samuel
Thomas
"Sam" Cofer, 81, of St. Simons Island died
unexpectedly on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2002. He was born in
Washington, Wilkes County, Georgia on Jan. 24, 1921, to Henry
Jackson Cofer and Ruby Littleton Ray Cofer. He attended public
schools in Glynn County and in 1935 entered the Baylor School in
Chattanooga, Tenn., from which he graduated in 1938.
Subsequently, he began his freshman year at the University of
Georgia, and was an avid Georgia Bulldogs Club fan.
Active
in social and civic affairs, Mr. Cofer was a long-time member of
the old St. Simons Volunteer Fire Department, and a former
president of the St. Simons Boating and Fishing Club. He was a
charter member of the Brunswick Lions Club and the Tall Timbers
Experimental Station in Thomasville. Mr. Cofer was also a
charter member of the Wildlife Conservation League of Georgia,
member of the Gridiron Society, the Navy League and the St.
Simons Rotary Club, serving a term as president from 1968 to
1969. He served two terms as president of the Board of Trustees
on the St. Simons Rotary Foundation, and was honored as a Paul
Harris Fellow and Ed Bruce Fellow.
Appointed
by former Gov. George Busbee, Mr. Cofer served 81/2 years on the
policymaking Board of Natural Resources as the coastal
representative and was chairman of the North Georgia Mountain
Authority. While serving on the Natural Resources Board, Mr.
Cofer was involved in the state permitting of the new F.J.
Torras Causeway leading to St. Simons Island. He helped Glynn
County acquire 960 acres from the state, set aside as the Blythe
Island Regional Park on whose board he served at his death. He
championed the spreading salt sea marshes of Glynn, fragile
coastal resources, the plight of shrimp fishermen and the needs
of law enforcement. He was chiefly an advocate for conserving
Georgia's natural resources and preserving historic sites and
landmarks.
In
1986, he sought elective office, filling the unexpired term of
former commissioner Willou Copeland Smith who championed Mr.
Cofer's advocacy of the Georgia State Department of Natural
Resources. Later, in February 1991, State Representatives Smith
and Ron Fennel sponsored a resolution that was read and adopted
by the Georgia General Assembly, providing for the dedication of
the Department of Natural Resources Regional Headquarters, 1
Conservation Way, Brunswick, Georgia, in honor of Sam Cofer.
Mr.
Cofer is survived by his wife of 57 years, Marie Joyner Cofer;
two children, Patricia Barefoot, Donnie Cofer and their spouses,
Forrest "Frosty" Barefoot and Brenda Williams Cofer
and one grandchild, Tiffany Lynn Cofer, and several nieces and
nephews. His surviving sisters are Mrs. Murphy (Frances Sasser)
Bowman, Mrs. Edith C. Parker, & Mrs. James E. (Patricia)
Thompson, all of Glynn County.
Pallbearers
are Bill Downey, Woody Hinton, Carl Alexander, Ted Crews, Jim
Goodis, Teddy Crews, Frank Beckum and Dr. Bill Hitt. Honorary
pallbearers are Ralph Bufkin, W.A. Hamby, George Bufkin, James
D. "Jimmy" Moore, Gilly Werntz, Jimmy Seaver, Teddy
Brandeis, Morris Kent, Joe Cline and Captain Jay Childers.
The
family will receive friends at Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home
with visitation from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22, and
services will be held at Christ Episcopal Church, Frederica, at
11 a.m. on Wednesday, with interment at Oglethorpe Mausoleum.
The
Brunswick News, October 21, 2002
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