POPIN, Edward

Edward Popin, born November 30, 1910, in Sharpsville, PA, to his immigrant Serbian parents, died in Mesa, AZ, on March 31, 2004. Edward and his wife Cviyata Kokanovich Popin owned a grocery store on Niagara Street in Tonawanda, NY until 1947 when they moved to Arizona. The grocery store located opposite the Erie Canal sometimes provisioned the tugboats. On the 10th anniversary of the store, Edward made a barrel of peach brandy to serve to his customers, distilling it twice to be sure that it was good. In Tonawanda he was a member of the Gastown Sportmen's Club where he enjoyed card playing, pheasant hunting, the annual deer hunt, and ice fishing with his friends. In the winter he would flood the field behind the Club so that the neighborhood kids could ice skate. Disappointed to not be in WWII, he loaned his car to the young soldier or sailor, home on leave, with a date and no car. When the troop trains went by on the NY Central Railroad, located next to the store, he would toss cookies and candies up to the young men. Edward was a member of the NY National Guard, earning sharpshooting medals while attending camp in Poughkeepsie, NY. In Mesa, Arizona, Edward and Cviyata owned the San Jo Motel on Main Street. He was a member of the Mesa Jay Cee's, and enjoyed trout fishing in the mountains and riding his Harley. Edward is predeceased by his wife, Cviyata, his son George, his sister Eva Rangos, his brother Peter who died in Yugoslavia during WWII. He is survived by his daughters, Joanne Clapham of Orlando, FL, and Michelle La Pointe of Kansas City, Missouri; his grandchildren, Peter Clapham of El Cajon, CA, Nicholas Clapham of Bellevue, WA, Erik Richard Edward La Pointe and Alexandra Elyse La Pointe; his great grandchildren, Silas Edward Clapham and Sydney Helen Clapham; his nephews, John Rangos of Green Valley, AZ, and Peter Rangos of Orlando, FL, and his niece, Katica Milosevic of Cacak, Serbia. A private family service will he held at a later date. Meldrum Mortuary handled the arrangements. The Arizona Republic 4/7/2004.