William Neil Copeland ’63

Bill died Dec 12, 2021, of brain cancer in Olympia, Wash., with his family by his side.

Bill came to Princeton from Piedmont (Calif.) High School, where he lettered in football and baseball. At Princeton he majored in political science and wrote his thesis on “Internal Politics of the AMA: The Medicare Problem.” He was a member of Quadrangle Club and roomed junior and senior years in the club suite, the Taj Mahal. His senior-year roommates were Rox Stewart, Steve Cox, Rhode, Herold, Pullman, Crawford, Savage, and Osborne. He participated in lightweight football and club sports, worked in Commons, and managed the Student Sweater Agency junior and senior years. 

After graduation, Bill earned a master’s degree in botany from the University of Oregon and a master’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Pennsylvania. He worked with the Nature Conservancy in research and land conservation in Oregon, then retired after more than 30 years as a physical therapist. He worked on global-warming initiatives and loved opera and classical music, possessing an excellent tenor voice himself. 

Bill is survived by his wife of nearly 39 years, Joan; his son, Tobin Copeland-Turner; daughter Tauschia Copeland; two stepsons; and grandsons Randy, Keven, and Logan Dunn. The class joins in sending condolences to the family.