Thomas Anthony Copeland

Thomas Anthony Copeland, 53, of Dallas, Texas, died unexpectedly on December 18, 2023. He was born in Dallas on November 20, 1970, and graduated from Skyline High School in 1989. He studied architecture in high school. He enjoyed home design and model making. He later attended Texas Tech University and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a minor in Architecture in 1997. He played trumpet in grade school through college and marched in the Skyline and Texas Tech bands.

Thomas (referred to as Tom, by his family) had many talents. As a young man, he was a cub scout and boy scout Tom played soccer and baseball in grade school and later became a sports enthusiast, following Texas Tech sports and the Texas Rangers. He was noted for keeping all informed about upcoming sport events and their standings.

Tom’s family shares many items he produced through his Fine Arts degree. After college, he worked at House Bronze, Inc., in Lubbock, until the foundry was destroyed by fire. He also shared his degree in photography through weddings and the Hub City Speedway. Around 2000, he moved back to DFW, where he made Haltom City and Paris, Texas, his home for a while. He used to laugh that all of his exes lived in Texas!

Tom’s other passions included gardening, in which he held a Master Gardener title. He loved to competition dance and later in his life could even do the Cotton Eyed Joe in his wheelchair. Tom loved all animals, especially Beagles. He followed current politics and could be quite outspoken in his views. He was a fan of Whitney Houston. In 2018, he became a resident of Golden Acres Living and Rehabilitation. His room was adorned with his passions for Texas Tech, his political beliefs, Whitney Houston, and of course his Beagle replicas. He was known for the bottle of quarters he won at weekly Bingo.

After he became disabled, he became an avid fan of DCI (Drum Corp International) Marching Band Competitions. Because of his knowledge of music and experience in marching band, he enjoyed personally scoring the band entries simply by listening. He and his Dad attended several local competitions. He even collected hat pins and shirts from the various bands.

Tom was preceded in death by his younger brother, Randall Copeland, and both sets of grandparents. Tom is survived by his parents, Roger Stewart Copeland and Patricia Scoma Copeland. Others include his aunts, Debbie Copeland, of Lubbock, and Sammy Scoma, of Westminster, Colorado, along with numerous cousins.

Tom’s family wishes to thank so many at Golden Acres that brightened his days.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date to be announced on this website (www.sparkman-crane.com). Notifications will be given if the option is selected. A Mass and a Rosary at St. Pius X Catholic Church will also be set at a later date in Tom’s memory.