Alma Lydia Garcia Coplen

Alma Lydia Garcia Coplen went to her eternal rest on Jan. 18, 2024. Born May 29, 1931, in McAllen, Texas, and shaped by the beautiful ‘Valley’ of South Texas and her late parents, Esteban and Maria Salome Izaguirre Garcia, Alma is survived by her sons Rick, Paul, and Mark, their wives, Lorelei Wilson, Amy Robichaux, and Amy Davis, and her six loving grandchildren. Alma enriched everyone’s lives as hija/daughter, hermana/sister, esposa/wife, madre/mother, "a fun tia/aunt," abuela/grandmother, maestra/teacher, and amiga/friend.

Endowed with exceptional brains, beauty, and good judgment, Alma met and quickly married a Navy Veteran and forester named William Chase “Bill” Coplen. Alma and Bill said their marriage vows on August 6, 1955, in Neosho, Missouri, thus beginning a wonderful family love story and adventure that integrated the Garcia/Coplen family into the fabric of communities ranging from Corvallis, Oregon to Owensboro, Kentucky to Houston, Tyler, Carrollton, Kerrville and Austin, Texas.

Esteban Garcia, Sr. demanded that all his children attend college, including Alma and all her siblings. Placing that much importance on the education of young women was unheard of in the late 1940s and 50s. Alma graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, becoming a public-school teacher and elected school board member. Her life-long commitment was to ALL children and the awesome power of education to change their lives for the better. Alma Lydia Garcia Coplen was a TEACHER; her positive impact will extend for generations across the globe.

Alma’s greatest legacy is her tremendous positive impact on her extended family and everyone she touched—she taught us all how to love, live, learn, treat everyone with dignity and respect, work and play hard, and care for our families. Everyone accurately said, “Alma has the biggest heart!” She was ALWAYS there with a supporting smile, a helping hand, wise advice, and an appropriate dose of discipline for her sometimes-hard-headed sons. She also taught us all that sitting on the sidelines and complaining loudly about things is never good enough.

After “retiring’ to Kerrville, Alma and Bill both worked many volunteer hours weekly at the Raphael Community Free Clinic, which continues to provide medical care to those without insurance. As a Spanish translator at the clinic, Alma helped countless Hispanic families. Eventually, they moved to Austin to enjoy life near family.

Alma’s many passions included reading, cooking fabulous meals for LOTS of people, enjoying multiple outdoor activities with her family, meticulously planning cross-country family vacations that dramatically broadened her sons' horizons, and cheering her sons and grandchildren to victory in multiple sports, academic, and performance venues.

A Catholic Funeral Mass celebrating Alma’s life will be conducted on Friday, February 2nd at 11 AM at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 10205 N FM 620, Austin, TX 78726. Her visitation and viewing will be conducted on Thursday, Feb 1st, from 6-8 pm, with Eulogy at 7 p.m. at Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home, 9700 Anderson Mill Rd, Austin, TX 78750. Friends and family are invited to come to share stories, celebrate a life well-lived, and reflect on Alma’s powerful legacy. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations in his name be made to the Raphael Community Free Clinic in Kerrville, Texas: https://www.raphaelclinic.org/

Alma: Well Done. Be thou at Peace.