Kay Kazuko Copeland

As a long-time resident of Placerville, California, she had come to see it as home. But that’s not where she started. Kay was born in Los Angeles, California to Tadashi and Etsuko Kinoshita on November 11, 1925. Born on Armistice Day, just seven years after the end of World War I, her parents named her Kazuko, meaning “child of peace.” She was the youngest of five children and the only girl. Kay and her brothers were among the first generation American born Japanese or Nisei.

By the time she was born her first generation immigrant or Issei parents had moved to Los Angeles, California from Seattle, Washington. On December 7, 1941, they were living in El Monte, California. It was from there, at age 16, that Kay and her family were relocated first to the assembly center at Santa Anita Racetrack and then to Heart Mountain Relocation Camp, Wyoming on September 1, 1942.

While interned at Heart Mountain, Kay earned a high school diploma, and with it the privilege to apply to leave the camp. She first moved to Denver and then on to Chicago to work. In 1945, when the war was over and Japanese were allowed to return to the West Coast, she returned to California.She briefly lived in San Francisco and worked at the Japanese consulate there. However, LA was her home and she settled in Silver Lake.

It was there she met her husband Ted Lynn Copeland (deceased 1972), married, and had twin daughters in 1961. They moved to the Mount Washington area of Los Angeles after the babies were born and then down the hill to the Highland Park neighborhood in 1973.

She was a dedicated mom, who made sure her daughters Lynne and Gwyne were well cared for, had enriching opportunities to travel and learn, and made sure they had a higher education.

Although they never married, Fred LeRoy Acock was Kay’s real love. He was Grandpa Buzz (Deceased 1994) to her grandchildren. Together Buzz and Kay enjoyed taking road trips and especially loved their home state of California.

Kay lived in LA until she retired in 1992 from Paramount Studios. Retirement took Buzz and Kay to Eugene, Oregon to be closer to her daughter Gwyne and four of her grandchildren from 1992-2001. She loved Eugene. She liked to go to Saturday Market and became friends with the vendors there. On Wednesday afternoons she met the kids when they came home from school, and she always made spaghetti for dinner.

Then it was Lynne’s turn to be close to mom. Kay relocated to Placerville in 2001 to help after school there. Her habit for many years was to walk across Bedford Rd. and visit with the vendors in downtown Placerville, The Old Town Grill and The Placerville News Company were her favorite stops. She had become such a fixture downtown that when, in 2009 a driver accidentally ran into her as she walked across the street the news spread through Placerville before the paramedics could arrive. All her grandson’s friends called her Grandma Kay. Kay remained in Placerville until her death.

Kay is survived by Daughter Lynne Hamp, and Lynne’s husband, Owen. Grandson, Barrett and his wife Mataia and their children, great granddaughters River and Yvaine. Grandson, Gregory and his husband Mark. Daughter, Gwyne Taylor, and Gwyne’s husband Alan. Granddaughter Amanda and great grandson Kiyoshi. Granddaughter Miranda, Miranda’s husband Neil and great grandsons, Copeland and Noble. Grandson Tadashi and great granddaughter Miyuki. Granddaughter Mariko. Nephew, Robert Kinoshita, his wife Karen and their son Mathew. Nephew, Fred Watson, his wife Julie, and their children Akira and Selina.