Eleanor P. Copeland

Many things can be said about Eleanor Bell Copeland. Known to friends and acquaintances as a friendly, energetic, empathic and decisive woman, her compassionate nature would always shine through, revealing her charm, warmth and conscientious demeanor. She was warmhearted, gentle and organized in all the things she sought to accomplish. She generally had a focus on harmony and peace.

Eleanor was born on November 4, 1929 at MCV Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. Her parents were Coralease Moore and James Preston. Eleanor was raised in Richmond, Virginia. When she was young, Eleanor's friends and family found that “straightforward” and “honest” were perfect words to describe her. Even as a child, Eleanor demonstrated strong qualities of self-confidence, perceptive ability and a disposition that was enjoyable to those around her.

Eleanor grew up with one sibling. She had one sister, Venomia Hubbard. Eleanor was constantly involved in all sorts of activities with her family. Eleanor was a person who genuinely understood and cared for others, making powerful connections with those she knew.

As a young girl, Eleanor was imaginative, ingenious, clever and a “novel” thinker. Regardless of whether her peers were older or younger, or came from different backgrounds, Eleanor could easily relate to other kids. In her spare time she liked music and dancing. However, to Eleanor, the most fun to be had was simply playing and spending time with her many friends.

During her high school years, Eleanor had a natural flair for cheering on and applauding just about everyone. She attened Maggie L. Walker High School. She did well in school. Eleanor was often found to be “the life of the party.” Teachers and classmates knew Eleanor as an excellent listener. She placed a high value on learning and always understood that there was a new lesson to be grasped waiting for her just around the corner.

Always considered a “good” friend, Eleanor sought to understand the things that others enjoyed. For this reason Eleanor always seemed to possess a never-ending collection of acquaintances. Throughout her life she had many friends. Eleanor left Richmond Va to move to Washington DC for better opportunities and where she was introduced to Roland W. Copeland and feel in love .

On July 6, 1952 Eleanor married Roland W. Copeland at the City Hall of Washington D. C. Compassionate and devoted, Eleanor worked hard to make her new family happy. By trusting her emotions, Eleanor did her best to make sure that both the marriage and home life ran smoothly.

Eleanor’s quality of being a caring and tolerant person who was very accepting of others translated to being a good mother to her children. Eleanor shared these values with her two children, Roland W. Copeland Jr. and Caralease M. Hall. Eleanor was also blessed with four grandchildren, Shannon J. A. Johnson, Shantese J. Johnson, Natashia Copeland, and Alexandria Copeland. Eleanor related well to children of all ages and was able to connect to them on their level. The children always loved her and she was completely and totally devoted to them.

Eleanor experienced success in her work life over and over again. After starting her family she went to work at Wilkins coffee plant and then left to work at US postal service she then left to work at APWU as a health care claims file clerk. She was employed for twentyfive years with APWU Health Plan. Eleanor always made the effort to understand what was needed at work, and was well known by her colleagues. Eleanor took pride in managing her professional responsibilities and seemed to always know what was necessary to successfully complete a project.

Eleanor took great pleasure in her various hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were cooking, sewing, and knitting. Eleanor enjoyed sharing her passions with others and could singularly focus on one hobby at a time.

In high school, Eleanor played tennis. Recreational sports included swimming.

Throughout her later years, Eleanor was an active member of the Knitting Circle in Pahrump Nevada.

Politically, Eleanor was a Democrat and loved talking politics.

Eleanor’s faith was important to her. She was a member St. Francis De Sales until moving to Pahrump .

Her gift for keeping things lively meant that vacations with Eleanor were always enjoyable. Favorite vacations included Las Vegas, Nevada, Hawaii, and Atlantic City.

Eleanor was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Eleanor's favorite was Cody, a Chihuahua, Jack Russel, Shih-tzu mix. They were best friends for They were the best of friends for eight years. Her family was rounded out by her love for dogs.

When Eleanor’s retirement finally came in 1991, she was well prepared. Being the focused and organized person that she was, Eleanor had taken care to plan for this part of her life. When that time eventually arrived, Eleanor knew exactly what she wanted to do. Eleanor moved to Las Vegas Nevada . In retirement, she found new pleasure in going to the gym, knitting, and the casinos. Even in retirement, Eleanor continued to stay in touch with her old friends and made plenty of new acquaintances.

Eleanor passed away on October 19, 2018 at UMC, Las Vegas, Nevada. Unexpected death. She is survived by her children, Roland Copeland Jr., and Caralease Hall, son in law, Jeffery Hall, and her loving grandchildren, Shannon Johnson, Shantese Johnson, Natashia Copeland, and Alexandria Copeland. 6 great grandchildren Demonta , Amir , Shannon and Messiah Johnson ,Nyree Smalls and Monice Avery along with nieces and nephews and cousins . Eleanor's memory will continue to be cherished by her extended family and dear friends. Services were held at Palm Northwest Mortuary in Las Vegas, Nevada. Eleanor was laid to rest in Palm Northwest Cemetery in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Throughout her life, Eleanor was a gregarious and enthusiastic woman. She was generous in sharing her personal attributes, giving and helping those she knew and loved. Eleanor leaves behind her a legacy of life-long friendships and cherished memories. Everyone whose lives she touched will dearly remember Eleanor Copeland.