Donna Copeland

Donna Yvonne Copeland passed away quietly on July 16th, after fighting a courageous twenty-five year battle with cancer. Donna was born in Chicago, Illinois on June 23, 1941 and spent the next two years traveling around the country with her family, as her father, Frank DeVol, played with the Big Bands. After that period of time the family moved into the Hollywood venue and settled in Toluca Lake, California.

Donna was educated in the Burbank, California schools at David Starr Jordan Junior High School and John Burroughs High School. After graduation from high school, Donna entered the University of Colorado at Boulder. Donna joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority where she met many of her life-long friends. Majoring in Theatre and Speech, Donna thrived in the production of plays and had the female lead of “Molly Brown” in the play “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”. She later played the lead in the university production of “Bells are Ringing.” This production was then selected by the U.S.O. to play at military bases in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Returning to the University of Colorado to graduate, Donna met and later married James D. Copeland in her parents’ California garden. Back in California, Mrs. Copeland played several roles in Hollywood playhouses and tolerated three years as her husband served on active duty in the Navy. In 1965 the couple returned to Boulder where Donna would receive a Master’s Degree from the University of Colorado in Oral Interpretation and Literature.

Mrs. Copeland then began her career with the Boulder Valley School District, teaching first at the “old” Fairview High School, then at Southern Hills Junior High School, and finally at Boulder High School where she was head of the English Department. Donna ended her career in education after serving as the assistant Curriculum Director for the Boulder Valley Schools.

Donna and Jim both retired in 1997 and started traveling the world, starting with dive trips to South Pacific, and continuing with other trips to China, Russia, England, Ireland, Tahiti, Fiji, South America, and a host of other destinations.

Donna is survived by her husband of forty-nine years, Jim, her two sons Darren (Diana) in Denver and Brandon, living in Arvada, her sister, Linda Morehouse of Lafayette, California, her nephew Rowe Morehouse of Santa Monica, California and her niece, Graye Lopez (Ray), of Los Angeles, California.

Donna will be remembered for her wicked sense of humor, her sardonic comments, her voracious reading, the love of her many friends, her custom made bamboo fishing rods, the friendships for the University of Colorado Alumni Association’s Directors’ Club, and the pleasure she took in her family.

Cremation is being handled by Crist Mortuary and her ashes will be spread near Donna and Jim’s cabin in Leadville overlooking a nearby lake, the Arkansas River, and the majestic Colorado 14ers in the background.

Donna would appreciate any contributions be made to the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center, 4715 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, Colorado which kept her alive for twenty-five years…enough time she would say to raise a family, complete a career, and travel the world. Also contributions would be accepted by the Hospice Care Center of Boulder and Broomfield Counties, 2594 Trailridge Drive East, Lafayette, Colorado 80026, who made her final days comfortable.

A celebration of Donna’s life will be held Tuesday, July 24th, between 2:00 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. at the Boulder Country Club, 7350 Clubhouse Road. Immediate family and friends are invited to share food and drinks and happy thoughts of Donna.