Obituary

Jean Bowman Cropley passed away peacefully at The Arthur B. Hodges Center in Charleston, West Virginia, on December 21, 2025, due to complications following a stroke.

He was born on June 15, 1931, in Denver, Colorado, the son of George Irving Cropley and Effie Fern (Bowman) Cropley.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Helen Cropley. Jean is survived by his son Thomas G. Cropley, daughter-in-law Cecelia C. Cropley, and grandson Ian Cropley, all of Charlottesville, Virginia; brothers-in-law Daniel W. Sutherland of Chicago, Illinois, and Richard T. Sutherland (and spouse Caroline Watt-Sutherland) of Wichita Falls, Texas. He is also survived by nephew Daniel J. Sutherland, nieces Susan E. Sutherland and Elizabeth Sanderson, and two grand-nieces, all of Chicago. He also leaves his best friend, Carlos Jarrett of Putnam County, West Virginia.

Jean grew up in Denver, graduating from South High School in 1949. He then attended the University of Colorado, where he first dated a pretty co-ed named Helen Sutherland. He graduated in 1953 with a BS degree in Chemical Engineering and an NROTC commission as Lieutenant (junior grade) in the United States Navy. He served as engineering and gunnery officer aboard DDR 877, USS Perkins during the final year of the Korean War.
After navy service, he returned to The University of Colorado to earn a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering. There, he and Helen, now also a graduate student, rekindled their romance from undergraduate days, marrying in 1956. Their son Tom was born in 1958.

The couple moved to South Charleston, West Virginia, in October, 1957, when Jean joined Union Carbide Chemicals Company. He worked in the Research and Development Department and the Reaction Engineering group at the South Charleston Technical Center until retiring in 1991. He was named a Union Carbide Corporate Fellow in 1988. He was a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and was proud of his volunteer role in teaching and mentoring chemical engineering graduate students at West Virginia University.

Jean and Helen moved to Scott Depot, West Virginia, in 1977, where they lived until moving finally to Edgewood Summit in Charleston in 2022.

A talented musician, Jean was principal clarinetist in the Charleston Symphony under conductor Charles Schiff in the 1960s and ‘70s. He also played saxophone and harmonica. Jean enjoyed hiking and trout fishing in the Colorado mountains, camping, photography, and travel. In his 30s, he was active in cave exploration with the West Virginia Speleological Society. He and Helen traveled widely in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, India, and South America.

Jean was a kind and intellectual man whose interests were many. He could, and did, converse knowingly on almost any subject. He was a proud Navy veteran, a staunch liberal, and a political junkie, who keenly followed current affairs right up to the last days of his final illness. But, his greatest interest and love was reserved for his family and friends.

The family would like to thank the staff at Edgewood Summit and the Arthur B. Hodges Center in Charleston, and especially Jean’s devoted caregivers, Faye, Paula, Cheyan, Tammy, and Patty, for the extraordinary love and care that Jean received.

Graveside gathering for the interment of ashes will begin at 1:00 p.m. promptly on Friday, January 9, 2026, at Donel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery, Dunbar, West Virginia

A gathering of family and friends will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at Edgewood Summit, Charleston.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.barlowbonsall.com .

Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.