William B. Hope Jr.

William Boyd Hope, Jr. died peacefully Sunday, July 20, 2025, at home surrounded by his family who loved him dearly.

Bill was born July 4, 1938, in Chattanooga, Tennessee to William B. Hope and Eleanor Kate Roberson Hope. His father was career military, retiring as a Colonel and his mom a homemaker. Bill enjoyed the privilege of sharing a birthday that the entire nation celebrated. As the outbreak of World War II loomed ever closer, they moved to Loudon, Tennessee to be near family. This is where Bill grew up.

Bill always said that he was raised not only by his parents – he was also raised by beloved Aunts, Uncles, and indeed by the entire town. He was a serious but mischievous red-headed boy, always running about town with his younger red-headed brother, Henry. He was active in the Loudon Cumberland Presbyterian Church and in the Boy Scouts, attaining the level of Eagle Scout. He was very proud of his small-town East Tennessee roots.

Bill graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Bacteriology and Psychology and a Master of Science (MS) in Bacteriology and Biochemistry. He later attended the School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, attaining his MS in Public Health and a Doctor of Science Degree in Environmental Health, Pathobiology, and Health Planning. Bill always said that Johns Hopkins opened many doors for him. He was a proud graduate.

Bill married Tana Hope in 1960. They had much in common which enabled a long, happy marriage. They moved as many times as necessary to advance Bill’s career while raising four wonderful children to become honest, responsible, hard-working adults, Bill’s proudest achievement of all. During his storied career, Bill held many different jobs, always pursuing a consuming interest.

Bill, his wife Tana, and his first daughter, Nikki, initially lived in Atlanta where Bill served as a medical microbiologist at the Virus Region Unit for the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta and then a Special Field Consultant in the Laboratory Consultation and Development section of the CDC in Atlanta, GA. During his tenure there, Bill served as a member of the U.S. Public Health Service team implementing new nationwide diagnostic and treatment techniques for tuberculosis (TB). His work increased the efficacy of TB outpatient treatment and resulted in the closure of many TB sanitoria throughout the country.

In 1965, Bill, Tana, and now three children (Nikki, Tana Louise, and Bill), moved to Arkansas where Bill served as the Director of the Bureau of Laboratories at the Arkansas Department of Public Health in Little Rock, Arkansas. During his time in Little Rock, he developed and implemented the state’s first epidemiology and disease surveillance program and was responsible for the design and construction of a multimillion-dollar laboratory facility - the most modern facility of its type in the country.

In 1967, Bill, Tana and their (now) four children (Nikki, Tana Louise, Bill, and Kathryn) moved to back to Atlanta, where Bill served as a Special Field Consultant in the Laboratory Branch of the CDC in Atlanta. The following year (1968), Bill served as a member of a three-man team appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson supporting a mission to South Pacific Islands of Guam and Micronesia to assess the disease control problems and needs of the Trust Territory of the Pacific. During this time Bill also served as an advisor to Governors’ offices in 37 states for implementation of Partnership for Health legislation and the development of state plans for Public Health Services. To finish out the decade, Bill and his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland where Bill attended graduate school at Johns Hopkins University.

Following the completion of Bill’s Masters in Public Health and Doctorate of Science in Environmental Health, Pathobiology, and Health Planning, Bill and his family moved back (once again) to Atlanta where he spent a year serving as the Assistant Chief for the Laboratory Licensure Section of the CDC in the Public Health Service of Atlanta, Georgia before moving the family once more, this time to Overland Park, Kansas.

Over the next nine years (much of the 1970s), Bill served first as Acting Regional Health Administrator for the Public Health Service and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Region VII before being promoted to Deputy Regional Health Administrator in the Public Health Service (PHS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Region VII in Kansas City, MO, covering operations of all federal health programs in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. He also served as the USPHS representative of the U.S. EPA Regional Response Team, interacting with the EPA, FDA, the uniformed services, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Department of Agriculture, and others. In addition to being cited for various achievements in emergency medical services, adolescent health programs, and programs related to the prevention of illness following disastrous heat waves, Bill created the first Office of Health Promotion to aid in coordination of public/private resources at local, state, and federal levels dedicated to health education, disease prevention, and the promotion of wellness. Bill’s model for the Office of Health Promotion in Public Health Service earned an endorsement by the U.S. Surgeon General.

Bill attempted a quieter, calmer profession from 1981-1982 as tenured Professor and Chairperson of the Division of Public Health at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville while simultaneously serving as Coordinator of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville Public Health programs in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs. While in Knoxville, Bill also served on the Governor’s Advisory Council on Human Resources which determined priorities for the human services delivery system through the State of Tennessee. Bill also held other faculty appointments throughout his career including Clinical Assistance Professor of Medicine (Adjunct), University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) Medical School; Instructor in Health Care Administration (Adjunct), School of Medicine at Washington University of St. Louis, Missouri; Professor (Adjunct), George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University of St. Louis, Missouri; and Instructor, Institute for Personal and Career Development, Central Michigan University.

Following his time in Tennessee, Bill served as Health Commissioner for the city of St. Louis MO, developing the first and only hazardous materials emergency response team in any health department in Missouri at the time. He developed and helped pass into law the only local ordinance covering hazardous and toxic substances. Bill was the first local health officer in the U.S. to designate Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) as a reportable condition and launched a major health education program aimed at the medical community, fire, police and other emergency personnel as well as the community at large.

During Bill’s career in the field of public health, he was a Fellow of the American Public Health Association, the Southern Health Association and a member of the Association of Teachers of Preventative Medicine. Bill collaborated in research with the National Institute of Mental Health and was a member of the World Health Organization working group developing methodologies for identifying Adenovirus stereotypes for a world-wide typing program. He served on the committee at UMKC’s School of Medicine that created the Six Year BA/MD program. Bill served on the Board and Executive Committee of the Bi-State Chapter of the American Red Cross and Chaired the Health and Safety Committee. He was President of the St. Louis District Dairy Council and voting member of the Missouri State Milk Board. Bill also authored and co-authored several dozen scientific publications and presentations and received numerous citations, commendations, and honors.

In 1987, Bill accepted a position in the private sector with Riedel Environmental Services, an international company whose home office was in Portland, Oregon. Bill served as the Acting Regional Manager in St. Louis and as the Project Manager for an ongoing dioxin excavation project before being promoted to Specialized Response Manager and Vice President Riedel Environmental Services, Inc. He served as Regional Manager of Riedel’s St. Louis office, Program Manager for Riedel’s U.S. EPA Missouri Dioxin Contract, and U.S. EPA Certified Federal Response Manager. Bill always enjoyed traveling. During his tenure at Riedel, he frequently traveled on assignment throughout the U.S., to Riedel’s home office in Portland, Oregon, and on multiple international assignments.

Bill relished the last decade of his career. In 1990 he accepted a position as Vice President of Health, Safety, and Environmental Affairs at Coca-Cola USA. He and Tana were pleased to (once again) move back to their beloved Atlanta, Georgia. Bill often talked about his time with Coca-Cola as being the pinnacle of his career. While he loved living and working in Atlanta, Bill’s travel passions were fulfilled by Coca-Cola’s need for his travel across the United States and throughout the world. He participated in the safety and security interests of international events such as the 1992 XXV Olympics in Barcelona, Spain and 1996 XXVI Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. While living in Atlanta, Bill also served on the Bio-Terrorism Task Force under President George W. Bush.

While Bill was obviously a passionate and devoted career professional, he was even more enamored of his life with his long-time love, his wife, Tana. Bill and Tana met on a public bus when Bill graciously gave up his seat to Tana. They wed in 1960, beginning a marriage spanning 65 years!

Bill and Tana’s love resulted in 4 children: Nikki, Tana Louise, Bill, and Kathryn. Bill loved all his children and was immensely proud of them. He often spoke to others, even perfect strangers, bragging or offering up embarrassing stories about one of his kids. He enjoyed taking his family on many vacations, including yearly trips to Loudon, TN, spring skiing in Vail, beach trips, and trips abroad.

Having a strong commitment to marriage and family, Bill and Tana moved together bouncing from state to state throughout the majority of Bill’s career. Once settled in Kansas, and having children in the final years of high school, Bill and Tana made the difficult decision to establish a second residence to support Bill’s career ambitions, in Knoxville and St. Louis. During these years apart, his children often observed their Mom’s warm smile and laugh upon receiving a plane ticket to come meet Bill and likewise upon her return from one of their rendezvous.

Once their children were “grown”, Bill and Tana enjoyed 25 years together, again in Atlanta. After transitioning to retirement from Coca-Cola, they explored shared passions of travel and collecting wine, and Bill’s hobbies of painting, sketching, and wood carving (at which he excelled in all).

Bill and Tana decided to return to Overland Park, Kansas 10 years ago to be closer to their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Bill is loved and remembered by his wife, Lakwana D. Hope “Tana” and four children Nikki L. Copp (Michael), Tana Louise Hope Bogush (Mark Berry), William B. Hope III (Leslie Alexander) and Kathryn H. Dahlin (James).

Bill is also survived by his eleven grandchildren: Andrew Copp (Rachel), Ashton Jekic (Milos), Ryan Copp (Amy), Allie Wagner (Robert), David and Sky Bogush, Jenna, Emily and Chloe Hope and Kaley and Megan Dahlin; and his nine great grandchildren: Conner and Lucas Jekic, Adelynn, Liam and Collin Copp, Charlotte and Madison Copp, Grayson Wagner and David Bogush III.

Additionally, Bill is survived by his brother and lifelong best friend Henry Welcker Hope and sister-in-law Betsy Hope of Houston, Tx., along with all the “Houston Hopes”.

Bill often spoke of the many blessings in his life. He routinely referred to the “Hope Luck” indicating life had a way of working out for the betterment of him and his family. In this we, his family are certain, the “Hope Luck” blessed us with Bill in our lives and continues to bless us as we carry Bill in our words, stories, memories, and our hearts. He is loved by us all.

A memorial service will be planned for a later date.

In lieu of flowers, online donations can be made to Bill’s beloved alma mater University of Tennessee at web address: give.utk.edu at the site, select “Make A Gift”, then select/enter an amount, then under “Select Area of Support/Make your selection(s):” pull down the list and choose “College of Education, Health and Human Sciences”, select “College Fund for Education, Health and Human Services” and complete the form.

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