Samuel Copeland Jr.

Samuel Bruce Copeland, Jr. Died peacefully at home at Lake Park Retirement Center in Oakland, CA on Oct. 28, 2010; he was 85. Born in New Castle, PA on June 29, 1925, he entered Oberlin College (OH) in 1943, where he joined a Naval V12 Unit; he completed his BA at Muskingum College (OH) in 1947. His life insurance career began in sales and estate planning in Walnut Creek and Sacramento, CA; he held senior executive positions in Philadelphia, PA, then Chicago, IL, where he later worked in real estate. In Charleston, WV and Charlottesville, VA he was an independent financial planner and business consultant. In 2004 he and his wife Carol retired to her hometown, Berkeley, CA. Bruce was a passionate advocate for social justice, including equality for women and minorities in the workplace. Visionary and practical, and a self-described agent of change, he was excited by the challenge of finding and funding workable solutions to systemic problems. He offered his leadership and financial expertise to many innovative initiatives with professional, community and church groups, including low-income housing, housing for the disabled and those with AIDS, and services for the homeless. Family, friends, and clients appreciated his creative and effective approaches to financial planning. Loving and supportive to his family, Bruce is remembered for his generosity, optimism and sense of humor, especially his puns and poems for family occasions. He loved tennis and jazz, and had a wide-ranging curiosity about the world and its people. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Carol Coates Copeland; daughters Sue Copeland Jones (Nick) of Oberlin, OH, Janet Copeland (Tom Carney) of Coral Gables, FL and Margaret Copeland of Berkeley, CA.; son Tom Copeland (Diane) of St. Paul, MN; brother William C. Copeland (Lotte) of Tucson, AZ; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents Samuel Bruce and Margaret Wilson Copeland, sister Jean Copeland Basnett and brother John W. Copeland. A memorial service will be held at 2pm, Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010 at First Congregational Church of Berkeley (FCCB), 2345 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA 94701. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to FCCB or to Solar Richmond, 2730 Maine Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804. (www.solarrichmond.net)