Coplay First Coplay Last & Everything in Between: NATIVE SON, HUSBAND, FATHER, ARMY VETERAN, RENOWNED PUGILIST, COPLAY COUNCIL MEMBER AND PRESIDENT, COPLAY ATHLETIC CLUB FOUNDER, COMPILER OF COPLAY VETERANS PICTORIAL HISTORY AND COMMUNITY ALBUMS.

FROM THE ARCHIVE AND MEMORABILIA COMPILED BY THE LATE JOHN IFKOVITS WE WISH TO SHARE WITH YOU AN ARTICLE THAT WAS PUBLISHED AS THE FEATURE STORY IN THE "NEIGHBORS" SECTION OF THE ALLENTOWN MORNING CALL ON AUGUST 6, 1998.

                                    Mr. LOU BODISH

FOR SOME REASON, UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, LOU AND I HIT IT OFF TOGETHER. I ANSWERED THE DOOR ONE DAY AND THERE STOOD LOU. HE ASKED IF HE COULD COME IN AND CHAT FOR A BIT. IT WAS A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE FOR ME AND WE DID THAT SEVERAL MORE TIMES. I SPECIFICALLY RECALL RECEIVING A PHONE CALL ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON. LOU ASKED IF I COULD COME UP TO HIS HOME, STATING THAT HE HAD SOMETHING FOR ME. WHEN I ARRIVED, HE SAID HE WANTED TO GIVE ME THE ORIGINAL CHARTER FOR COPLAY A.C., WHICH HE HAD FOUNDED. ALSO, HE SHOWED ME SOME PHOTO ALBUMS, I BELIEVE THERE WERE THREE OF THEM. HE ASKED ME TO PLEASE TAKE THEM BECAUSE HE FELT THAT I WOULD TREASURE AND SHARE THEM WITH OTHERS. I TRIED TO TALK HIM OUT OF IT BECAUSE IT WAS HIS LIFE'S WORK AND SINCERELY BELIEVED THEY SHOULD STAY UNDER HIS FAMILY UMBRELLA. HE WAS ADAMANT AS ONLY LOU COULD BE. BUT, I WAS SAVED BY THE BELL, OR SHOULD I SAY THE "BELLE". HIS DAUGHTER STOPPED BY WITH HIS FAVORITE SNACK FOOD - "YOCCO'S HOT DOGS". I TOLD HER WHAT HE WANTED TO DO AND THAT RESULTED IN THE ALBUMS REMAINING WITH THE FAMILY. SOME OF THE PICTURES IN THE ALBUMS WERE PHOTOS I RECEIVED FROM THE PRINTER OF COPLAY'S CENTENNIAL HISTORY BOOK. WHEN WE WORKED ON THE CENTENNIAL PANORAMIC VIEW BOOK (PICTURES OF PEOPLE AND VARIOUS ACTIVITIES DURING CENTENNIAL) IN PREPARATION TO HAVE IT PRINTED, THE PRINTER CALLED TO TELL ME THAT HE STILL HAD ALL OF THE HISTORY BOOK PICTURES AND WAS GOING TO PUT THEM IN "FILE 13", THE TRASH CAN, IF I DIDN'T COME AND PICK THEM UP. I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE CREATION OF THE HISTORY BOOK BUT WITHOUT HESITATION, I PICKED UP AND PRESERVED THE PHOTOS FOR POSTERITY. THAT IS HOW I CAME IN POSSESSION OF THE PICTURES THAT I GAVE TO LOU IN AUGUST OF 1989. HE THEN INCLUDED THEM IN HIS PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE COMMUNITY. SOME SAID THAT LOU WAS A TOUGH COOKIE. BE THAT AS IT MAY, MY ASSOCIATION WITH LOU IS LOOKED BACK UPON IN A VERY SPECIAL MANNER AND I WAS GRATEFUL TO HAVE KNOWN LOU IN MY LIFETIME.

WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SHARE THE MEMORABILIA SAVED BY THE LATE JOHN IFKOVITS. THE STORY OF A NATIVE SON OF COPLAY,

"LOU BODISH".

AS PAUL HARVEY USED TO SAY "AND NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY".