Clayton T. Dopke

Published 6:00 am Tuesday, September 28, 2010

    Services for Clayton Thomas Dopke were held Monday, Sept. 27, 2010, at 7 p.m., at Russell Baptist Church with Mr. Steve Taylor officiating.

    Mr. Dopke, 64, of Kewanee, died Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010, at Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was born on July 31, 1946, to the late Mr. Henry Thomas Dopke and Jeanne Rae Clayton Dopke.

    Clay loved the thrill of speed, whether it was on a horse, in the air, of the horsepower of an automobile. Before moving to the Meridian area in 2000, Mr. Dopke lived in Syracuse, N. Y., where he was the manager of Burdisk, Porsche. In the 70’s, he was a frequent driver and winner at NASCAR Races at Mid Ohio and Limerock Speedway Tracks. He also raced at TaMars in France. He built custom designed Porche’s for celebrities and athletes. For 20 years, he was the founder and owner of Bavarian Coach Werks, a noted Porsche Racing and Automobile Restoration Business in Dayton, Ohio. He was also the founder of Dopke’s Design Motor Sports.

    Clay will always be remembered for his engaging personality and quick wit that endeared everyone who met him.

    Survivors include his wife, Kathy; two daughters: Sherielle Dopke and Ashlie (Robert); three step-daughters: Elizabeth (Scott) Farmer, Cheryl (Wade) Jarman and Ashley Bartlett; two step-sons: Jonathan and Joshua Bartlett; a sister, Mari Rae (John)Dopke Wilson; four grandchildren: Hunter Jarman, Mandy Farmer, Tiffani Hughes and Dylin McGin; and, one niece, Marissa Roberts.

    He was preceded in death by his parents.

    Final cremation arrangements were handled by New Haven Memorial Funeral Home.