Visitation began at 9 a.m. Monday, Oct. 9 with a funeral service at 11 a.m. at Evergreen Memorial Chapel, 8th Avenue and E Street, with Mr. Fred Stoud officiating.
Pallbearers included John Copelin, Chad Copelin, Jeremy Copelin, Jerry Billington, Bill Janusiewicz and Ward Wells. Honorary pallbearers were Conrad Rudd, Royce Larson, C.T. Giza, Lorn Simpson, Ron Seifker and Mark Marlowe. Burial was to be in Angelus Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mr. Copelin was born April 1, 1924, in Tulia, Texas, and was educated in Plainview, Texas. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II, where he was stationed in Adak.
He moved to Alaska in 1948 and began working for Anchorage Telephone Utility. He retired from ATU in September 1987.
He was a member of the Baptist church, the IBEW, the Elks Lodge and the Lions Club. He enjoyed hunting and fishing.
His family says: "He was a devoted husband and father. He loved having family and friends around him. One of his greatest joys in life was to take his children and grandchildren fishing and hunting and he never missed an opportunity to do so.
"He was proud to have served his country in World War II and to have been involved in building the communications system in Anchorage and of his many years of service with the Anchorage Telephone Utility. He continued to value his many friends and coworkers after his retirement and remarked that he 'guessed it was time to quit when you have to start replacing what you originally built.'"
Mr. Copelin is survived by the wife, Irene Copelin of Anchorage; sons, Tom Copelin of Big Lake, and Charles G. Copelin of Palmer; daughters, Ann Billington of Dumas,Texas and Jackie Newman of Little Elm, Texas; sister Dorthea Wilson of San Antonio, Texas; 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Fay Copelin; his parents; two brothers and three sisters.
Family requests memorial donations to be sent to the American Cancer Society, 1057 W. Fireweed Lane, Suite 204, Anchorage, AK 99503; or to the charity of the donor's choice.
Arrangements were made by Evergreen Memorial Chapel, Anchorage.
Source: Frontiersman, 10 Octobeer 2000
