Dorothy Cope Brightwell

Dorothy Cope Brightwell of Mount Pleasant, Texas, formerly of Warren, Ark., passed away Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017, in Richardson, Texas. Dorothy was born in Rye, Ark., on June 27, 1942, to Noah A. Cope and Floy Curry Cope. After graduating from Warren High School in 1960, Dorothy enrolled in St. Vincent Infirmary School of Nursing in Little Rock, graduating in 1963. She began a lifetime of devotion to caring for others. In 1964, Dorothy married Owen Sims Brightwell (1936-1988) of Batesville, Ark. For the next few years, they lived in several towns in Arkansas and Louisiana where Owen worked for West Department Stores. In 1968, Owen became manager of the West store in Mount Pleasant, Texas. Dorothy was hired as an RN at Titus County Memorial Hospital, where she remained for the next 46 years. During those years, she served in various nursing capacities, from assisting with baby deliveries to circulating in the OR, to accompanying patients in the ambulance to larger hospitals. She was promoted to Director of Nurses, a position she held for many years until she was asked to develop a pediatric and orthopedic in-patient unit and serve as its director. Her final position before retirement was Director of Quality Management and Medical Staff Coordinator. She retired in 2014. In the early 1990's, Dorothy began traveling with medical mission groups to third world countries (Belize, Guatemala, Bolivia, Fiji) to bring medical care to those less fortunate. Dorothy was the proud mother of two children: Becky Schwarz and Jeff Brightwell, both of Dallas. She is survived by her children, two grandchildren, Samantha Schwarz and her brother Jordan Ochoa, also of Dallas. Other surviving family includes brothers Emmett Cope (Carolyn) of Warren, David Cope (Mary) of West Helena, Ark., and sister, Jerrilyn Cope Bulloch (Bobby) of Huntsville, Texas. Dorothy leaves behind her nieces and nephews: Karen Cope Smith, Jana Bulloch, Jeremy Bulloch, Jonathan Cope, and Melissa Cope. She also had many cousins. Services were held for Dorothy in Mount Pleasant on Sunday, Nov. 26, at St. Andrew United Methodist Church. Burial was at Union Hill Cemetery in Mount Pleasant. For those who desire, the family has requested donations to St. Jude's Children's Hospital, which was dear to Dorothy's heart.