Emily Copeland

Emily Rose Copeland was born on September 16th, 1950 and died on July 25th, 2025 after a surprising, brave and difficult journey with metastatic cancer. She was surrounded by friends and family.

She is survived by her loving siblings, Eric (Pam), Jane, and Gwen (Trent), daughter, Renée (PJ), stepdaughter Sara and family, 6 nieces and nephews, and countless first cousins. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Juanita and Fred Schmieder; her adored cousin Amy, and her devoted husband, Bob.

Emily was born in Sidney, Ohio and raised in Columbus. Her core memories of growing up on the same street with a bunch of children, in an open-doors-style, generous community of young families, instilled values she carried for the rest of her life. Her adventures were varied: from teaching highschool Spanish, to being a gypsy in the Renaissance Faire circuit, to seasonal employment at Awareness & Health in Ohio, to providing the hub for homemade bread, catalogued cassette-tapes, a free shower and a place to camp out at the famed rental house on King St. in Winona. She brought her connective gifts to Wiscoy Valley Land Co-operative and Prairie Moon Nursery, her healing wisdoms to Bluff Country Co-op, counseling members as a supplements manager for 17 years, and her proud support to Renée and her friends’ artistic and communal endeavors. She made and cherished friendships and connections wherever life took her.

Emily had an incomparable capacity for details, shining through her beautiful works of art, including intricate beaded earrings, satin sewn rosettes, and especially her ceramics from a prolific period in which she stayed up all hours of the night using OSU and WSU’s wheels and kilns to fire her stunning creations. Her biggest endeavor of mind and craft certainly is the 8-year collaboration with her husband, Bob as they designed and built with their very own hands the underground roundhouse they raised their daughter Renée in.

After losing her husband in November, 2024 and her health challenges mounted, she moved to Homestead, PA at the end of May 2025, living with Renée and PJ as full-time carers.

Until the end, Emily’s memory remained unceasingly sharp and as limitless as her heart. She memorized every nurse and doctor's full names, what they were wearing, what their zodiac signs were and generally showered them with loving observations, affirmations and words of deep gratitude. Her last meal was five sublime bites of orange sherbert and vanilla ice cream and she shimmied her shoulders as she delighted in the day, which she decided was close enough to count as her birthday.

Immediate respects can be paid online at: https://www.turnerfh.com/obituaries/emily-copeland

Per her request a private memorial will be held, and a larger celebration of life will occur at a later date, in Wiscoy Valley Land Co-operative (TBD).

Arrangements entrusted to the TURNER-HYDE FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES located at 6th and Park in Ellwood City