Helen Copeland

1930 - 2019

Copeland, Helen
1930 - 2019
Helen, "Lenny," McConnell Copeland died peacefully on May 11, 2019. One of five children, she was born on October 6, 1930 to Malcolm R. and Rebecca C. McConnell in Pittsburgh, PA. Lenny is survived by her beloved husband of sixty-six years, Bill, her son and daughter, and four grandchildren. She acquired the name Lenny in college, where she met her husband while singing in acapella groups at Union and Skidmore Colleges. Lenny had many passions in life. She was an accomplished local artist. She studied at Carnegie Mellon, graduated from Skidmore College, and attended Yale Art School. She painted well over 650 paintings that grace many Columbus homes. Lenny's gift as an artist stems from her appreciation of nature and light. Since her childhood, she spent almost every summer at her family's cottage in Connecticut, a place of connection to both nature and deep family roots. Her travels to Europe were a great inspiration for her work. She loved everything French, particularly Giverny and the French garden she designed for her home, images of which are part of a permanent collection at the Smithsonian. She spent most of her winters on Sanibel Island where she experienced peace and quiet with shelling, walks on the beach, and wildlife that also found their way into her paintings. Her sense of precision and order led her to develop into an avid, top flight croquet player. She discovered her love of the game with her husband, Bill, and mentored many others. Lenny participated in the U.S. Croquet Association, The Junior League, Twig 2, The Little Garden Club, and the Book Club. In her enthusiasm for life, she also just loved a good party with friends and family. In her final days, she showed exceptional courage in her acceptance of her difficult illness and met it with the will to survive a surgery that pushed the limits of medical science. She would like to thank all of the wonderful surgeons and nurses at The James Cancer Center and at Kendal at Granville. Her immediate and extended family have learned a great many lessons from her vision and perseverance in life. We, as a family, treasure her gift for seeing beauty in the world and capturing it for all. Memorial Service will be held 11:00 am Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at Broad Street Presbyterian Church, 760 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43205. Contributions may be made to The James Cancer Center The Ohio State University Foundation, 1480 W. Lane Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43221 614-292-2141 https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/ways-to-give or to Broad Street Presbyterian Church garden fund c/o Cheryl Carter at 614-221-6552 or ccarter@bspc.org. http://bspc.org/donate/. Arrangements By SCHOEDINGER MIDTOWN CHAPEL, 229 East State Street, Columbus, OH 43215.