Alumni Spotlight – Donna (Bailey) Copenheaver ’60

For Donna Bailey, the focus was on reporting school news in the Courier and capturing the year’s memories for the Calumet. She was also a member of the color guard in the Warrior Marching Band. “I liked sports,” she recalls, “but there weren’t many girls’ teams in those days.”

“I remember Miss (Phyllis) Krumrine well,” she says thinking about teachers that affected her profoundly. Mr. (Jim) and Mrs. (Doris) Miller too. And Mr. (Curtis) Stermer and I got along well. He was the Principal and ran a tight ship, but we never had a problem.”

It was an era where women’s careers tended to be pre-defined. Donna’s dream was to be a fashion designer, but like many girls of her day, she took secretarial classes as a fall-back. And she did very well, her grades earning her a prestigious first job upon graduation – Secretary to the President of P.A. and S. Small, York’s largest wholesale grocery firm.

Shortly afterward, she met husband-to-be Terry Copenheaver – know to all as “Max” – with whom she met at the Play Land Skating Rink and married soon after. Terry was an apprentice plumber at the time, but later joined the U.S. Air Force as a radar technician for the Strategic Air Command, serving on B-52 bombers.

During her husband’s service, Donna worked for Household Finance in York, Florida, and Texas, but returned to the area with Terry in 1963, following his honorable discharge. Terry resumed his plumbing career while Donna cared for their three children and served as region manager for Tupperware Corporation, leading her franchise to a top-ten national ranking.

In 1985, the couple decided to take the risk of owning their own contracting business, purchasing Terry’s former employer’s business. Donna served as office and accounting manager, dispatcher, and just about everything else that didn’t involve field-work. At its peak, the firm supported York’s vibrant commercial construction trade, employing 20 full-time. The firm thrives to this day, with a focus on residential work and has added heating, air conditioning and electrical services to its line, with a headquarters in Emigsville. Sons Baron and Bart are involved in the business now, and are accepting its leadership and management, although Donna and Terry still work a full day. Son Royce is a graphic artist in the York area.

As busy as the business keeps them, the couple creates priority time to spend with their grandchildren Hannah and Maxwell. Most recently, Donna’s energies were devoted to battling breast cancer – a battle she has won – rewarding herself and Max with a trip to China.

And every five years Donna helps organize her high school class reunion with a committee of like-minded alums. “We stayed very close” she says. “We have good turnouts and some of us still get together for lunch once a month. The camaraderie of this group is something special. I have nothing but good memories of my time at Susquehannock. These are my best friends.”

Interviewing for this article, Donna observed,” I’m not sure people will find reading about me all that exciting. I just set out to live a good life – and I have.”

Thanks to Donna (Bailey) Copenheaver for making us Warrior Proud!