Obituary of Linda Kaplowitz Copeland

Linda Copeland On February 25, 2012, Linda (Coane) Kaplowitz Copeland of Olympia died peacefully at home at the age of 76 following her struggle with melanoma. Linda was born and raised in Philadelphia to Edwin and Mildred (Sobel) Coane. She spent many summers of her youth on the beaches of Atlantic City with her siblings, Honey (deceased) and Ethan, and their cousins. She married Hal Kaplowitz on New Year's Eve, 1956 and had three sons: David (deceased), Gary and Andy. Over the years, Linda lived in Brooklyn; Vancouver, BC; Bellingham; Washington, DC; New Jersey; Seattle; and Olympia. In 1978, her husband, Hal, died at the age of 44, and in 2009, her son David also succumbed to melanoma. Linda passionately supported efforts to fight social injustice and to achieve gender equality. She held an undergraduate degree in Anthropology from Western Washington University and a Masters in Arts Management from American University in Washington, DC. She spent most of her professional life in sales and customer service positions until she retired in Olympia. Linda was a member of Temple Beth Hatfiloh since the early 1990s and served as a religious school teacher at the synagogue. Linda's best friend was whatever book was in her hands. She had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and an infectious laugh. Her sense of humor helped her cope with many, many challenges throughout her life. She was a strong supporter of Israel and prayed for lasting peace in the Middle East. She is survived by her eldest son David's widow, Shelley; her sons, Gary (Diane) and Andy; along with nine grandchildren. To honor her commitment to the pursuit of social justice, charitable donations in memory of Linda can be made to the American Jewish World Service (www.ajws.org). Please leave memories of Linda or condolences for the family in the Guestbook below.