“When the kids graduate, there are a lot of tears shed when they walk out on  stage and read with confidence,” he says. He can empathize with children who suffer the humiliation of being told they are dumb and stupid, who want to crawl into a shell and never come out, because “I’ve been there,” he remembers vividly.

It wasn’t until age 55 that he had an “aha moment” while reading a feature story on dyslexia in The Philadelphia Bulletin newspaper. “That’s me,” Clopper exclaimed. “That’s me, one hundred percent!”

The couple that volunteers together . . .
Born and raised in Somerton, Clopper went to work for the Philadelphia Sunday and Evening Bulletin newspaper immediately after his high school graduation so he would have a job waiting when he returned from two years in the Navy. He met future wife, Joyce, at The Bulletin in 1948.

Married, the Cloppers moved to Hatboro and had two daughters. The couple has lived at Ann’s Choice for two years and now volunteers on campus as Ann’s Choice Ambassadors, answering questions to help newcomers get acquainted with the community.

“It’s the least we can do for our new neighbors,” Mrs. Clopper says. “We love to meet new people, and it’s always nice to make a new friend.”

Hip to be ‘square’
Mr. Clopper also belongs to another unique club. A member of the Southampton Square Club, he explains, “It’s not a dance club as some people think. The members act on the square, meaning a man’s word is his bond. Our charity is scholarships for college-age students.”

He speaks with conviction when he says, “I wish more people would get  involved in helping others. You never know if the day may come when you yourself need help.”

So how does Mr. Clopper relax? “Three days a week I head for the food court at the local mall and meet with a group. We sit, drink coffee, and discuss how to cure the ills of the world,” he says.

And I bet that in the back of his mind, or maybe even in the front, he’s thinking about what’s next on his “doing good” agenda.