Gay Yates Copeland

Gay Yates Copeland, 94, passed away peacefully Tuesday, August 28th, 2007, at his home in San Antonio, Texas, following a short period of failing health.

Born December 31, 1912, in San Angelo, Texas, to Kenneth and Bess Yates Copeland, Gay spent most of his childhood on the ranch of his grandparents, Ira G. and Annie S. Yates, for whom the town of Iraan was named and on which the fabulous Yates Oil Field was discovered in 1926. He married Esther Lou "Este" Hines, of Bronte, Texas, on August 9, 1935, and they were rarely apart until her passing last November.

Initially they ranched near San Antonio and San Angelo. He had learned to fly as a teenager, and he established a flying service at the old San Angelo Airport. He was a charter member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, and became a flight instructor for the Civilian Pilot Training Program and the Army Air Corps. He was commissioned directly into the Navy as Lieutenant j.g., leading flight training units at several Naval Air Stations across the U.S., and attaining the rank of Commander.

After the war he brought his family to his ranch in Sutton and Schleicher Counties, later expanding operations to Coke, Duval, and Bexar Counties and Springfield, Missouri. He helped organize the National Cutting Horse Association, and, as one of its early presidents, traveled the country visiting rodeos and stock shows to promote currying horse contests as a popular competition event. During this period he became a Life Member of the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo, serving as a Director from 1953 to 1968, chairing the horse show committee, and assisting the entertainment committee in recruiting stage and screen personalities to appear at performances.

He served as a member of the vestry and building committee of Sonora's St. John's Episcopal Church, and as a member of the Diocesan Council Diocese of West Texas. He also was a member of the Board of Directors of the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest, and helped establish and develop the diocesan camp and conference centers. One of his greatest pleasures was to fly Bishops Everett Jones and Earl Dicus on their diocesan business.

While Sonora's mayor, he was instrumental in the establishment of the town's airport, where he operated a flying service in conjunction with his Piper and Beechcraft dealership in San Angelo. On a larger scene, he was an early member of the Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners Association TIPRO; he helped found the National Association of Royalty Owners NARO as a vehicle for its thousands of members to combat the punitive windfall profits tax, and more recently fostered its Texas subsidiary.

After leaving ranch life in the 1960s, he lived in the Rockport, Texas, area for many years, becoming well known as a yacht broker. He and Este traveled extensively in their small planes, boats, and motor homes; he served several terms as President of the Bluebirders RV Association. In their later years, he and Este returned to San Antonio to be near their three children.

He is survived by his children, Ralph Copeland of McCamey, Texas; Richard Copeland and his wife Andrea of Georgetown, Texas; and Gayle Copeland and her husband Jim Jacobs of San Antonio; grandsons Hill Copeland and his wife Leslie of Viroqua, Wisconson; Chris Copeland and his wife Stephanie of Greenwich, New York; granddaughter Tracy Atchley Pentland of San Antonio, who was his companion in his last years; and ten great-grandchildren. The family is particularly grateful to his long-time special assistant Cindy Frazier and devoted caregivers, especially his friend and companion Harriet Walker.