William James "Bill" Copeland

News Death Notice

COPELAND, William James "Bill" of Hamilton died Friday, July 8, 2011, at the age of 89.He was born in Fort Edward, New York on May 19, 1922 to John H. Copeland and Olive S. Copeland. He served in the Marine Corps from 1943 to 1946 in World War II and later during the Korean Conflict. Bill graduated from Cornell University in 1948. Bill was a founding member of the Westwood Presbyterian Church where he served as an elder. Known for his volunteer service, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society awarded him the MS Hope Chest Award in 1986. The Hamilton Ohio Traffic Club named Mr. Copeland the Outstanding Citizen of the Year in 1987. He was also on the boards of the local MS Chapter, Friends of the Library, Mercy Hospital, the Butler County Children's Home, Lane Public Library, Butler County Regional Airport Authority, and the Executive Committee of the Butler County Republican Party. He was a Mason, a member of the Cornell Club - New York, and the Marine Corp League. Bill's career was spent in the paper business, retiring as Vice President, Sales of the Beckett Paper Company in 1987, after 29 years of service. He later joined the Miami University Pulp and Paper Foundation for 13 years where he served as Membership Director and then Executive Director. His activities and accomplishments do not begin to offer a scope of his gregarious and boisterous personality. Bill Copeland was a passionate man: whether it was his family, his church, the paper business, his alma mater, Cornell, the Marine Corps, or Hamilton, Bill was fully committed. Bill loved people; he took a genuine interest in others' stories and enjoyed telling his own. He walked with a spring in his step surely born of his New York farm boy background and his Marine Corps athleticism. As an avid reader, golfer, private pilot, cyclist, member of the church choir, and proud businessman, Bill approached life with a friendly, exuberant tenacity. He and his wife Barbara enjoyed traveling together, both on business trips and after he retired. It seemed as if Bill had at least one friend wherever he went; on a trip to Australia, they discovered a fellow Hamiltonian in the hotel gift shop! Grandfather to ten, Bill took a keen interest in his grandchildrens' lives; indulging their occasional whims such as raiding the cookie jar or turning his storage loft into a playhouse. He was passionate about his faith and lived it out by habitual service to his church and to the community. Bill Copeland showed kindness every day to everyone he met, and he will be missed. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Barbara Clapp Dayton; two daughters, Jennifer Schwelik (Frank) of Lakewood, Ohio and Heather Turner of Dallas, Texas; a son, John Copeland (Tina) of Richmond, Virginia; two stepsons, Peter N. Dayton II (Lisa) of Terrace Park, Ohio and Neil A. Dayton III (Gretchen) of Lake Jackson, Texas; and 10 grand children: Frank J. Schwelik IV, Margaret E. Turner, William R. Turner IV, William J. Copeland, Daniel J. Copeland, Gregory R. Copeland, Lauren F. Dayton, Peter N. Dayton III, Holly E. Dayton, and Neil A. Dayton IV; and two brothers Coolidge S. Copeland of Argyle, NY and John A. Copeland of South Glens Falls, NY. Mr. Copeland was preceded in death by his first wife Dorothy E. Reid, and his parents. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on Wednesday, July 13, at Westwood Presbyterian Church, 1068 Stahlheber Road, Hamilton, Ohio 45013 with Reverend Joshua N. Long officiating. Visitation will be held preceding the funeral services beginning at 9:30 am. Arrangements by Weigel Funeral Home, 980 NW Washington Boulevard, Hamilton, OH, 45013. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions to Hamilton Community Foundation, 319 North Third Street, Hamilton, OH 45011, Westwood Presbyterian Church, 1068 Stahlheber Road, Hamilton, OH 45013, or the charity of your choice. Online condolences are available at www.weigelfuneralhome.com