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Submitted: 10/21/17 • Approved: 10/21/17 • Last Updated: 10/24/17 • R1199595-G0-S3
January 29, 1941 - December 10, 2015
Obituary
Connie Ray Copeland, 74, of Savannah passed away on Thursday, December 10th at Mosaic Hospital, St. Joseph, Missouri.
Named after Famous baseball player and manager Connie Mack, “Ray” was born in Blue Mountain Township, west of Mountain View, Stone County, Arkansas on January 29, 1941 to Delbert and Betty (Peace) Copeland. He graduated with his 35 classmates from the Mountain View High School in 1959. Following graduation he attended classes at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas. In the early 1960’s Ray moved to the Kansas City area where he eventually worked at the Ford Assembly Plant. While working at the Ford Plant Ray purchased a farm in Helena. For a time he worked the farm part time and commuted to work at Ford. On one of those commuting trips he fell asleep while driving and wrecked his vehicle. His injuries were minor, but following that incident he retired from Ford and worked the farm full time. Ray once confided to his uncle, Jim Looney, that he considered his work on the farm to be the most rewarding of his work endeavors. About 1984 Ray began to supplement his farm income by becoming a newspaper Carrier for the St. Joseph News Press and remained at that task until 2010. That work entailed a daily early morning commute to St. Joseph to pick up papers, for delivery to his customers homes.
In 1994 Ray ceased his full time work on the farm, purchased a home in Savannah and began working for the Missouri Department of Corrections in Cameron. At the age of 65 Ray retired from active employment, yet continued his work delivering newspapers.
In the spring of 2010 Ray moved his mother, Betty Copeland, from Mountain View, Arkansas to Savannah to live with him. Shortly after his mother’s 90th birthday celebration in October 2013, Ray was taken seriously ill and struggled with health problems until his death. Ray enjoyed hunting and fishing and was a passionate Royals fan, with the Royals World Series win, being the highlight of his year. Ray was a generous and caring person and will be greatly missed by family and friends.
Ray was preceded in death by his father, Delbert, and his sister Shirley (Copeland) Pohanka.
Survivors include his mother, Betty Copeland, LaVerna Village, Savannah. Ray married twice and is further survived by stepsons, and step grandchildren, Uncles, Aunts and numerous cousins.
The family wishes to thank the entire staff at the Mosaic Life Care, St. Joseph, and LaVerna Village, Savannah for their care, friendship, and concern during those periods when Ray was their guest.
A visitation service will be held Tuesday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 at the Breit-Hawkins Funeral Home in Savannah. A graveside burial service is being planned at the Flatwoods Cemetery in Mountain View, Arkansas on Thursday the 17th at 10:00 a.m
Contributed on 10/21/17 by sandhollow
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Record #: 1199595