Austin P. Cupp

Austin P. Cupp, 83, of Stevensville, MI and Tamarac, Florida, passed away, Sunday, July 27, 2008 at Caretel Inns of Lakeland, St. Joseph, MI. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:00 A.M. Friday at Stevensville United Methodist Church, 5506 Ridge Rd., Stevensville with Rev. B. Gordon Barry & Rev. Donald Bayne officiating. Burial will follow at Lincoln Township Cemetery with Military Rites conducted by Coloma American Legion Post #362, VFW Post #1137 of Benton Harbor, & VFW Post #6803 of Watervliet. Friends may call from 5:00 until 8:00 P.M. Thursday at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. Memorials may be made to Stevensville United Methodist Church or New Carlisle Wesleyan Church. Those wishing to share a memory or sign the guest book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com. Mr. Cupp was born September 16, 1924 in St. Joseph to Hiram K. & Verna (Miller) Cupp. He graduated from Stevensville High School in 1942 and was part of the State Champion Basketball team that year. Austin served his country in the US Marine Corp during WWII, stationed in the Samoan Islands of the South Pacific. On April 17, 1945, he married his childhood sweetheart, Dorothy Schoenfelder in Stevensville. Austin was co-owner with his father & brothers of H. K. Cupp & Sons Inc., (a Produce and Transport business) in Stevensville, beginning his life-long career at the age of fourteen. He devoted his life to his work and to his family. In 1949 the family business expanded to include winter work in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Mr. Cupp is survived by his wife Dorothy; his children-Cathy Miles of Galien, MI, Michael (Brenda) Cupp of Ft. Lauderdale, Randy (Peggy Lynne) Cupp of Naperville, IL, Beth Moser of New Carlisle, IN; eleven grandchildren-Doug, Tom, Mandi, Dale, Patrick, Brian, Amanda, Matthew, Daniel, Kevin, & Ryan; great-grandchildren-Doug, Austin, & Kelsey; & two brothers-Myron “Bud” (Norma) Cupp, and Frank (Josephine) Cupp, both of Stevensville. All of whom will miss him terribly. He was preceded in death by his parents, and a grandson Andy Miles in 1991.