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Jake Copass, the last cowboy

By Pamela Dozois

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Contributed Jake Copass, relaxing under the shade of a tree at the Alisal Guest Ranch.

Lifestyle Editor

Jake Copass wanted to go out with his boots on.

One of the Valley's treasures, Copass was recently diagnosed with leukemia. At 86 years old, he decided against chemotherapy.

Copass — the last of a fading breed, the cowboy — died Thursday, surrounded by family and friends.

He had been a cowboy all his life, in the true sense of the word. Copass bought and sold cattle up and down the coast. He had worked at the Alisal Guest Ranch since 1946.

“I’ve worked on and off at the Alisal for the past 60 years buying and selling and trading cattle, shipping cattle for other people, working with horses,” he said Wednesday, the day before he died. “Being a cowboy myself, it’s how I started out and that’s how I wound up. It’s been kind of interesting to me. All my life I’ve been involved in a lot of things. I’ve had a lot of fun, yes I have. I can’t regret any of it.”

He also worked as a wrangler at Alisal, making sure guests sampled the joy of ranch life and returned home safely. He was fond of children and loved to share his poetry with them or anyone interested in hearing about the virtues of the Old West.

He fondly recalled working with the Chamberlin family and spoke affectionately about Ailie Chamberlin, whose 100th birthday party he attended recently.

Local rancher Fred Chamberlin said he visited Copass on Monday and they reminisced. He recalled an ongoing gag about Jake running for governor during the Gray Davis recall, going so far as printing up 100 bumper stickers touting the fictional campaign. It was a prank known throughout the Valley.

“Jake got a real kick out of it,” said Chamberlin. “Jake said, ‘Yeah, I’m running for governor on the platform ‘Don’t tell nothin,’ then you don’t have to do nothin.’ And we kept that prank going for months.”

Although Copass was bedridden recently, he still held court in his living room, receiving a parade of friends and well-wishers along with calls from as far away as Australia.

After the annual Rancheros Visitadores ride in May, Copass' friend Bo Kelly took him for his first helicopter ride.

"I've been close to them, of course, on movie sets and such, but I've never gone up in one until then," Copass said. "It was so wonderful. It was just after the rains and everything was so green and beautiful. The chopper buzzed the Alisal, then went over to get a view of President Reagan's ranch.

“I've been there many, many times, but to see it from the air was so great,” Copass said. “We flew all over the Valley. We were up there for an hour. It was probably the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me. What a way to go out!"

He also received a call from old friends in England, the Deacons. A half century ago, Copass first met a young boy who stayed at the Alisal. When the boy grew up, he called Copass after fondly remembering the cowboy from visiting the ranch as a youth. After talking for a while, Copass learned the man’s 8-year-old son, Sam, had only four months to live. Copass had to “twist some arms” but ultimately arranged for Sam and his entire family to spend time at the Alisal “for a little R & R.”

"It was the same time of year as it is now, the weather was beautiful, the grass was green. We did everything we could with the horses. Sam rode every day, twice a day. We'd saddle up the horses and go out for long rides at night. It was great, I had such a wonderful time. I fell in love with that little boy, everybody did,” Copass said.

They went to Disneyland for a week. But Sam became sicker and they thought he was going to “kick the bucket” right then and there, Copass said. But the boy wanted to return to the ranch to see Jake one more time before returning to England.

“He came back to the ranch and stayed with us for two more days and got to dance with his mom until they finally hauled him off to his room. That was the joy of my life,” Copass said.

Sam died a few months later.

“What was interesting about this story is that it was much more than a story about a sick boy and a dying wish,” said Copass. A short time after Sam died, his parents opened up a house where poor, sick people could stay for free, in their son’s memory.

“And it all started with the Alisal and one little boy,” he said. “It’s amazing what you can do with a little love. It didn’t take no time off of me and I was so grateful to meet such wonderful people, and from that experience, other people got to benefit.

“They had another child after that and named him after me, Oliver Jake. He’s 17 now, " Copass said with a smile.

“I’ve made a lot of friends in this life, and I’ve tried to cherish all of them.”

Copass touched many people in the Valley and around the world with his wit, humor, poetry and his love of children.

As Valley News columnist Ron Colone said, "It’s with a tinge of sorrow and a whole lot of appreciation that I send him strength and peace on his journey. He's given us plenty of light and love and a whole lotta laughter."

A funeral for Copass will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, June 15, at the Alisal Guest Ranch. The public is welcome to attend the funeral and reception. For more information, call Loper Funeral Chapel at 688-6684.