Ted Copeland, 85, passed away at St. Catherine’s Laboure Place on Friday, August 24, 2018. Ted was born in Jacksonville, FL. He attended Lee and Jackson High Schools and was very active in all the sports programs. He was exceptionally proud of being a part of the Jackson High School Basketball Team that won the State Championship his junior year, 1951. His senior year, he was Florida All State in football and basketball and played in the State All Star Basketball Game. He received a basketball scholarship to the University of Florida and was captain of the team his senior year. Being a Gator has been his delight. He attended games and other activities and had many Gator friends.
He worked for the City of Jacksonville, mainly in the Fire Department, for 38 years, retiring as a Captain. During his years with the Fire Department, he continued to play on basketball and softball teams in the City League. He became very active in Senior Basketball and was on teams that won 5 National Full Court Championships and 3 World Basketball Championships. In 1993 his basketball team won the National Half Court 3 Man Basketball Tournament. For his long involvement in basketball and baseball in Jacksonville, he was voted into the Boys and Girls Club Jacksonville Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Plumy Copeland. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Margaret Rush; his daughter Sharon Montgomery and her children, Bryce and Alyssa; Sharon’s husband Jim Ritter and his daughter, Claire, all of Jacksonville; his daughter Katie and her husband Adam and their children, Ashley, Isabelle and Olivia of Tampa; his niece Jennifer Godfrey and her children, Case, Amelia, and Ainslee of Greenville, SC; and several precious cousins.
A Celebration of Ted’s Life will be held on Saturday, September 1, 2018 at 3:00pm at Hardage-Giddens Oaklawn Chapel, 4801 San Jose Blvd. Memorial contributions in memory of Ted may be made to The Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville, FL 32204.
Please sign the guestbook at www.hardagegiddensoaklawnchapel.com
HARDAGE-GIDDENS, The Oaklawn Chapel, 4801 San Jose Blvd. is serving the family
