THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 10, 1996 TAG: 9610100279
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: 47 lines
Carey Telford Copeland, 72, of 1801 Cherry Grove Road, departed this life to be with the Lord on Oct. 8, 1996, in Southampton Memorial Hospital.
Mr. Copeland was born on Feb. 27, 1924, in Chowan County, N.C., and was the only child of the late Merton Telford Copeland and Laler Berryman Copeland. He was the grandson of the late Jehu Copeland and Annie Blanchard Copeland and Benjamin Berryman and Laura Ward Berryman.
Mr. Copeland graduated from Gatesville High School and served three years in the Army and Army Air Corps during World War II and was a decorated veteran. He was a farmer and insurance agent for 33 years for Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. and Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co. He was an original member of the Nansemond County Planning Commission and served on the City of Suffolk Planning Commission from 1972 through 1984. He then was appointed to the City of Suffolk Planning Commission Board of Zoning Appeals in 1984 and served until the present. He was a past president of the Cypress Ruritan Club and a member of the Progressive Men's Club and American Legion Post 57.
Mr. Copeland's love and devotion to his family were exceeded only by his love of God. He was a member of Great Fork Baptist Church, where he was a trustee and chairman of the cemetery trustees. He also served as past chairman of the cemetery deacons, as past Sunday School teacher and a member of the choir.
Survivors include his beloved wife of 49 years, Nancy Baines Copeland; three sons, Carey M. Copeland and his wife, Claudia E. Copeland, Benny T. Copeland and his wife, Adele C. Copeland and Timothy J. Copeland, all of Suffolk; three daughters, Hope C. Styron and her husband, Michael E. Styron, Connie C. Baggett and her husband, Dennis C. Baggett of Suffolk, Teresa C. Daniel and her husband, Major Timothy H. Daniel of Langley Air Force Base; 14 grandchildren, Jason Copeland, Kevin Copeland, Craig Copeland, Scott Copeland, Ben Copeland, Stacey Copeland, Eric Styron, Elizabeth Styron, David Styron, Lindsay Baggett, John Baggett, Graham Copeland, all of Suffolk, Sarah Daniel and Harrison Daniel of Langley Air Force Base; and a great-grandson, Brandon Copeland of Courtland.
A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday in Great Fork Baptist Church by the Rev. Steve Siegrist and the Rev. Tom Edwards. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8:30 p.m. today in R.W. Baker and Co. Funeral Home. Memorial donations may be made to the music system fund of Great Fork Baptist Church, c/o Ernestine Baggett, 801 Wedgewood Drive, Suffolk, Va. 23438. The family will meet at the residence prior to the service.
KEYWORDS: DEATH OBITUARY by CNB