Henry and Teresa Pope went with their daughter Taylor to her kindergarten class along with Taylor’s aunt — Henry’s (obviously black) sister. After Taylor introduced her mom, dad and aunt, one classmate asked, “Whose sister is she, your mom’s or your dad’s?”

We would all do as well to be that blind to outward appearances.

Many in the community describe the Popes in just that way.

“The Popes are genuine role models in seeing all people for who they are inside, disregarding their outside,” said Jill Engstrom of the South Whidbey Elementary PTA. Their giving — in coaching, fund-raising, leading Scouts — all reflects this perspective to those in this community that they call family, Engstrom said.

Seated at their dining room table, Henry Pope reached out to grasp his wife Teresa’s hand, looked into her eyes and said, “This person right here is my hero. She looks right past the external. For example, she didn’t see me as a black man.”

As for himself, he said, “I have to admit I saw a white woman, and all the social problems that would go with dating her.”

At the bank where they both worked, Teresa Pope says she saw a sensitive man, a man who befriended a woman alone and lonely, a man in a high position who would take time to carry heavy boxes for others.

“I saw a humble man with a huge heart, a man who reminded me of my father,” Teresa said.

Henry says that is a huge compliment.

“I mean, her parents are the salt of the earth,” he said.

Teresa’s father died four years ago, after which her mother came to live with them.

“I am one lucky man,” Henry said. “I have the love of my wife, my three children, and my mother-in-law. Wow.”

Mother-in-law Lenora Eckert, walking in just then, asked, “Did Henry tell you what he told me?”

“What?” Henry responded.

“You know, you big goof,” Eckert said. “Henry told me he was going to be a Hometown Negro.”

Everyone burst into laughter. Henry, never missing an opportunity to make fun of himself, made a silly impish grin, crossed his eyes and did a “happy dance.”

Joe and Karen Murphy, founders of South Whidbey fastpitch, describe the Popes as having “a quick wit and a highly developed sense of humor.”

“Henry and Teresa have fun at everything they do,” the Murphys said. “We know them through Little League, softball, basketball and Girl Scouts. They always positively affect everyone around them. We have found them willing to take on the difficult jobs, organizing, directing, recruiting and participating to the maximum extent.”

The Murphys say the Popes are fine human beings. They are the kind of people you want to entrust your children with.

Henry reflects on how important children are.

“I feel honored that parents trust me with their children. And children aren’t easy to come by,” he said.

If a man has ever seen his wife through pregnancy and delivery, he said, “Why you’ll do anything for her. Oh my gosh, that’s some serious pain, Jack! After we had our first, and Teresa said she still wanted to have more children, I said, Honey are you crazy? Don”t you remember last time? Man, God knew what he was doing by having the woman do the childbearing. There is not a man alive that would go through that.”

Henry Pope was raised in the south, in Alabama, and Teresa says she really likes the concept of Southern hospitality. When a funeral procession goes by, all cars pull over. All pedestrians stop, people come out of their shops, and everyone holds their hats or hands over their hearts.

Henry says he has many fond memories of Alabama. His role model was and is his eldest sister, Frances.

“Our mom worked, so Frances took care of all of us kids, and never complained once,” Henry said. Frances became a lieutenant colonel and nurse in Vietnam, rescuing wounded POWs in a plane.

“She once had to stop a man from bleeding to death by using the only means available, sitting her naked bottom on the bleeding man’s chest to make a seal,” Henry said. Frances always puts the person before her ahead of herself, he said.

Pam Mock, Teresa’s confidant, says the Popes put kids first.

“The many ways they’ve touched our community’s children makes them two of the most important advocates for children that we have,” Mock said. “They both give of themselves by teaching children the values of smiles, friendship, teamwork, giving and being your best, all while having fun. Always their giving is with no desire of returned favors.”

“I tell my kids, when you try your hardest you never lose, no matter what the score,” Henry said. “The true meaning of sports is not winning or the score, it’s learning self-discipline, and the knowledge that we cannot accomplish much on our own.

He added, though, “Oh, don’t get me wrong. I like to win, and when the score’s 2 to 2, oh I struggle with wanting to put the best batter in, instead of the one who hasn’t been to bat yet.”

To keep him accountable, he says, he asks his assistants, Brenda Bosman or his wife Teresa, to be his conscience, and make sure he makes the right decision. He says the kids are all the reward anyone needs.