Annalisa Stokely ‘Lisa’ Mims Cope, 54, died Sunday, February 3, 2013, at her lakeside home in Dandridge, Tennessee, following several months of declining health.

She was born in Newport on December 10, 1958, second of three children of William Ernest ‘Bud’ and Charlotte Nan (Jones) Mims.

She attended Newport Grammar School and graduated from Cocke County High School in 1976.

She attended the University of Tampa for one year and then transferred to Florida State University in Tallahassee. At both schools she was a competitive water skier, and her photo once appeared on the cover of Water Ski, an international magazine. Her photo also appeared in ads for Evinrude.

Following her graduation from college, she coached the water skiing team at Florida Southern College, a group which won a national championship in the early 1980s.

After returning to Cocke County, she first worked as a traveling physical education teacher for the Cocke County School System, dividing her time between Centerview and Northwest Elementary Schools.

She later taught girls’ physical education at Cocke County High School for several years, where she also coached the high school girls’ tennis team.

In 2000, she was instrumental in the organization of the annual CCHS Spring Fling, an intramural celebration of talent and competitive games established by the CCHS Beta Club. Over the years, the event has raised thousands of dollars that has been given to local charities.

In addition to her work at school, she also taught tennis and water skiing.

She was a member of First United Methodist Church, the William Cocke Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, and First Families of Tennessee.

She was preceded in death by her husband Scott Cope; father William Ernest ‘Bud’ Mims, brother William Fred Mims, grandparents J. Fred and Elizabeth (Stokely) Jones, Ernest Mims, and Anna Roe (Driskill) Mims, and uncle James ‘Jim’ Burnett.

She is survived by her mother Charlotte J. Mims, sister Shari (Mims) Perryman and husband David, nieces Lia and Alayna Perryman and nephew Will ‘Bud’ Perryman, all of Newport; sister-in-law Theresa Mims of Dandridge; niece Heather (Mims) York and husband James of Madisonville, TN; aunt Sally (Mims) Burnett of Newport; and cousins the Jimmy Burnett family of Brentwood, the Anne Burnett Young family of Knoxville, the Donald Hugh Jones family of Newport, and the Judy Griffin Freeman family of Cookeville.

Additional survivors include special friends and caregivers Pat and Butch Graham of Dandridge, Terry Taylor of Newport, and Alice Cureton Prisk of Knoxville. She will also be missed by numerous additional cousins and a host of friends.

The family will receive friends on Wednesday, February 6, 2013, from 5:00—7:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church. A memorial service will follow at 7:00 p.m. led by the Rev. Rick Spell and the Rev. Marta Cogburn.

Memorial gifts may be made to First United Methodist Church, 212 Washington Avenue, Newport, TN 37821 or to Newport Animal Shelter, 420 Humane Way, Newport, TN 37821.

Family and friends may sign the guest register online at www.manesfuneralhome.com.

Manes Funeral Home in charge