Gladys Ruth (Copeland) Comus

Gladys Ruth Copeland, 95, was born in Clyattville, Georgia in 1924. She attended high school and business college before moving to Atlanta and then Washington, DC. During World War II she worked in the Pentagon where she met her husband, Norman L. Comus, who was stationed there. After marriage, they moved to Huntsville in 1951, when Mr Comus was recruited to work at the US Army Missile Command. Gladys became an active part of the Huntsville community. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, was a Master Gardener, and served on the Huntsville Beautification Board and the Clean Community Board. She was a very active member and leader of the Green Valley Garden Club (charter member), the American Rose Society and Huntsville Twickenham Rose Society, the Federated Garden Club, and the District, State, and National Garden Clubs. Gladys was a Landscape Design Consultant and an Alabama and National Council Flower Show Judge. She has been honored with numerous local and state awards for dedicated civic service. Together, Gladys and Norman helped to visualize and found the Huntsville Botanical Garden where they contributed and worked tirelessly from its inception. Gladys taught various and numerous classes in garden and flower design, worked in plant sales and went to market for the gift shop, and always enjoyed working at the Galaxy of Lights.

Gladys was predeceased by her parents Thomas and Rhoda Copeland, six siblings, and her husband of 45 years, Norman L. Comus. She is survived by her sister Evelyn Marlowe, children Shirley Henderson (Jim), Mary Brown, Tere Denman (Larry), Cathy Filippo (John), and Barbara Comus, grandchildren Molly Shepard (Richard), Amber Anderson (Drew), Bonnie Goode (Tyler), Jeffery Brown, and Russell Denman (Lauren), and great grandchild, Emma Anderson. A special thank you to Lee, Evelyn, and Linda for special care.

Visitation will be from 5-7 pm on Monday, November 18 at Valhalla Funeral Home. Funeral service will be at 10 am on Tuesday, November 19 at St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church with burial following at Valhalla Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Huntsville Botanical Garden or to St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church.