Anthony Patrick Coppa, 85, of Merion, a mechanical engineer who also played piano and counseled troubled children at the Youth Study Center, died of natural causes Monday, Oct. 8, at his home.
Mr. Coppa spent more than 40 years as an engineer, specializing in structures. He worked for Westinghouse and General Electric in Valley Forge.
He was born in Philadelphia on March 22, 1927, the son of Nicola and Felicia Coppa, immigrants from Italy. Mr. Coppa, who grew up in South Philadelphia, attended public schools, graduating from Central High School.
He received a bachelor's degree in engineering from Villanova College in 1949. He also studied engineering in the Navy's V-12 program, where he was commissioned as an ensign. Mr. Coppa later earned a master's degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.
