Wayne Edwin Copeland

Born on December 9, 1957 and raised in Laytonsville, Maryland, he was the beloved husband of 40 years to Barbara Copeland and loving father to Tony (wife Cindy) and Chris (wife Jackie). He was preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Esther Copeland, Jim and Carol Frazer, sister Lynne Copeland, and brother James Johnson, Jr.

He is lovingly remembered by his wife and sons, and his brothers, Clarence Copeland, Scott Frazer, Doug Frazer, Ron Frazer, sister Sue Ronnevik, and grandchildren Kendall and Mason Copeland. He will be deeply missed by his friends, family, and all who knew him.

Wayne was an effervescent and joyous man who sincerely touched the lives of everyone he met throughout his life. He was a devoted father, husband, and friend to all. He graduated from Gaithersburg High School in 1975, during which time he met his wife, Barbara, who was by his side ever since for more than forty years. After high school, he joined the U.S. Army where he served as a Staff Sergeant. Most notably, he was employed by the United States Department of Commerce as a driver for the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and other presidential appointees for 35 years until his retirement in 2013. Wayne was an avid golfer who never missed a tee time and made lifelong friends out on the course. He loved cheering for his beloved Washington Redskins and Florida State Seminoles, which proves his devotion and loyalty in good times and bad. Wayne could make you laugh until you had tears in your eyes or make you tear up when he was challenging you with tough love when you needed it the most. All that loved him most could always depend on him in times of need or for advice. He made a lasting impact on every person he ever met.

The Celebration of Life will be held at Goshen United Methodist Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland on Saturday, November 2. Family Greeting will be at 10 a.m. Service will be at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation in Wayne's memory to support his friends and support team led by Dr. Judy Wang and Dr. Janice Eakle. The foundation is a non-profit organization that helps cancer patients with their living expenses while undergoing cancer treatment.