William H. Copperthwaite Jr., lawyer, educator

William H. Copperthwaite Jr., 49, of West Chester, a lawyer and educator, died of a heart attack on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at home.

For more than a decade, Mr. Copperthwaite had a law practice in West Chester providing tax and estate advice. He was also an assistant professor at Rider University's College of Business Administration and assistant professor of business at Chestnut Hill College. Previously, he taught in the graduate tax program at the Temple University School of Business.

Mr. Copperthwaite taught continuing legal education courses, lectured at seminars, and authored articles published in legal journals.

For several years, he was the host of Senior Talk Radio on WWDB-AM (860), discussing financial issues with callers.

He was president of the Mid-Atlantic Exchange Club, a service organization working to prevent child abuse, and since 2002 had been president of the Greens at Penn Oaks Homeowners Association.

Mr. Copperthwaite grew up in Cherry Hill. The William H. Copperthwaite Dental Hygiene Clinic at Camden County College is named for his father, an orthodontist, periodontist, and educator who died in 1988.

After graduating from Camden Catholic High School, Mr. Copperthwaite earned a bachelor's degree from Villanova University in 1983.

While working as associate director of financial aid at Drexel University from 1983 to 1995, he earned master's degrees in taxation and business administration from Drexel and a law degree from Temple University.

In 1997, while with the law firm of McCabe, Weisburg, Conway & Watson in Philadelphia, he earned a master's degree in law from Temple.

"He loved the learning process and always had his nose in a book," his son, William III, said.

Mr. Copperthwaite was with a law firm in Princeton and was a partner with Watson & Copperthwaite in Glen Mills before establishing a solo practice.

He enjoyed golf, football, bowling, and science fiction and political thriller movies, his son said.

In addition to his son, Mr. Copperthwaite is survived by his mother, Helen; two sisters; and his former wife, Margaret Sincavage.

A Funeral Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, at St. Thomas More Church, 1430 Springdale Rd., Cherry Hill.

Donations may be made to the Exchange Club of West Chester, Box 0222, Pocopson, Pa. 19366.