Richard Dennis Copeland

The Honorable Richard Dennis Copeland, 77, of Webb City, MO, passed away on August 17, 2022, at his home with his wife and daughter by his side, after battling cancer for five years. He was born in St. Louis, MO and raised in Granite City, IL to the late Dorothy Francis (Campbell) and Richard William Copeland. Following his graduation from Granite City High School in 1963, he attended the University of Missouri at Columbia where he graduated in 1967 with a degree in Zoology. While in law school at the University of Missouri, he was drafted into the US Army in June of 1969 and sent to Vietnam on Thanksgiving Day 1969. He was stationed at Tay Ninh, on the Cambodia border, with the 23rd Artillery Group, later transferred to Cu Chi and then to Phu Loi. He was the recipient of the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, 2 Overseas bars and the Bronze Star Medal. He was honorably discharged on June 25, 1971 and returned to Columbia to complete his law degree. After graduation he moved to Webb City and was in private practice and served as City Attorney from 1972 to 1977. In 1981, he was appointed Associate Circuit Judge and served for 34 years until his retirement in January 2015, then served as a Senior Judge for the State of Missouri. Rick had a deep commitment to community service. He served as Past-President of the National Kidney Foundation, Joplin chapter, and The Joplin Little Theatre and was a past member of the Webb City Housing Authority. More recently, he was President of the Webb City Park Board. He dedicated most of his time in retirement to the Webb City VFW Post 7630 and Webb City American Legion Post 322 as Adjutant General and served as President of the Joplin Humane Society (since 1997). He was committed to building a new shelter for the animals at the Joplin Humane Society, a mission that he accomplished in 2010. And he was able to see completion of the new American Legion building being finished only weeks before his passing. He sat on the Board of Trustees for Legal Aid of Western Missouri and volunteered time to Legal Aid of Jasper County. He was a member of the Missouri Bar Association and Jasper County Bar Association. He is survived by his loving wife, Lucinda, his daughter, Erica (Jefferson) of Nyack, NY; 3 stepsons Joe Hensley (Dina) of Joplin, Justin Hensley of Rockford, MN and Joshua (Maggie) Hensley of rural route Carthage, MO; four grandchildren, Harper and Beckett Hayman and Ella and Joseph Hensley; his sister Mary Robinson (Wayne); his brother-in-law Paul Bogosian and many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Janet Bogosian. Visitation will be held on Friday, August 19 from 4pm to 7pm at Hedge-Lewis-Goodwin Funeral home at 301 West Broadway, Webb City, MO. A funeral will be held on Saturday, August 20 at 10am at the Central United Methodist Church located at 5 S Pennsylvania Ave in Webb City, MO. Burial, with graveside military honors, to follow at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Webb City, MO. His request was for donations in lieu of flowers to the Joplin Humane Society. Arrangements are under the personal care and direction of the Hedge-Lewis-Goodwin Funeral Home in Webb City, Missouri.