Tonya Havins Copeland

Tonya was born in Houston, TX on October 9, 1964. She spent her first few years in Port Lavaca, TX; her elementary school years in Evansville, IN and Massena, NY; middle school and high school years in Rockdale, Tx , graduating from Rockdale High School in 1983. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Texas Woman’s University in 1989 and held several sales, programming and executive assistant positions in the Dallas area throughout her career.

Tonya was very outgoing. She enjoyed traveling, especially the family trips to Hawaii, Florida and Costa Rica. Tonya organized the family T-shirts, scrapbooks and picture albums. She was always up for an adventure whether it was zip-lining, snorkeling or playing board games and cards, and talking late into the night. She shared her Mother’s love for cooking, gardening and animals of all kinds, but especially loved cats. Tonya delighted in shopping, seeming to adopt every purse and pair of shoes she would see. Tonya never knew a stranger and had a joy for life that was infectious. She liked to laugh and share stories of days gone by. Although she did not have children of her own, she dearly loved her 7 nieces and nephews and never missed getting together during Camp Havins and Holiday gatherings at her parents’ home. She will be greatly missed as the “family communicator”.

Preceded in death by her mother and closest friend, Dorothy Havins, in 2006, Tonya is survived by her father, John Havins, Sr. of Rockdale, TX; brother John Havins, Jr (Janice) of Houston, TX; sister Michelle Boyd (David) of Cumming, GA; nieces and nephews [Honorary Pallbearers] Whitney, Jake and Rachel Havins and Andrea, Ben, Aaron and Daniel Boyd; and numerous cousins and other family members.

The family extends its heartfelt appreciation to the nurses and staff at Windsor Nursing & Rehab of Duval and Hospice Austin for their wonderful care of Tonya over the last few years.

Friends are invited to a visitation with the family on Saturday, July12 from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM at Phillips and Luckey Funeral Home in Rockdale, Texas followed by a “celebration of life” at her father’s home, 2006 Yokley Rd in Rockdale. Graveside services will be held at the Cook-Walden Capital Parks Cemetery in Pflugerville on Sunday, July 13 at 12:30 PM.

Donations in Tonya’s memory may be made, if desired, to the American Cancer Society.