ANNA MARIA – Beloved Anna Maria resident, newspaper reporter and Island historian Pat Copeland passed away on Tuesday, June 13, at the age of 76.
She passed away at Manatee Memorial Hospital in Bradenton from complications associated with the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory challenges she faced in recent years.
In 2000, Pat joined the newly-formed Anna Maria Island Sun newspaper as a reporter and copy editor. As a Sun reporter, Pat spent many years covering the city of Holmes Beach, the Holmes Beach City Commission and West Manatee Fire Rescue. As the copy editor, she proofread and corrected almost every story that ran in The Sun during her tenure, which ended in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AMI Sun Publisher Mike Field said, “Pat was the first person I hired for The Sun’s news department when Maggie and I began planning in 1999 to start a weekly community newspaper on the Island. Looking back, that hire was one of the single most important things I ever did as owner and publisher of the paper. Pat’s knowledge of local history and her experience covering Island news brought instant credibility to the upstart Sun.
“Pat knew absolutely everybody and had a deserved reputation for treating the subjects of her stories with respect and honesty. Her accuracy in reporting and attention to detail were phenomenal. She almost never made a mistake. As an editor, she helped many young reporters by deftly catching errors in their copy long before the stories ever made it into print. If you needed to know who to talk to on any given assignment, Pat was the person you asked.
“Personally, I will always remember the wry sense of humor she had, one that often left me in stitches and helped diffuse the mounting pressures of approaching deadlines. It was a pleasure to have worked with Pat Copeland and an even greater one simply to have known her. She will be missed,” he said.
An Island life
Pat was born and raised in Beavercreek, Ohio, just east of Dayton. Her husband of more than 50 years, Doug, hails from the same area. They met while they were both teaching English and language arts at a middle school in Dayton, Ohio.
“We had classrooms next to each other. That’s where we met,” Doug said.
After their first year together, Pat and Doug left their teaching jobs, moved to Celina, Ohio and for a year ran a fishing camp on Grand Lake. At the time, Doug’s parents lived on North Shore Drive in Anna Maria, where in 1972, Doug’s dad presided over Pat and Doug’s wedding during their visit to Florida.
When Pat and Doug moved to Bradenton Beach in 1973, Pat went to work at Trader Jack’s and Doug later joined the staff as a bartender.
In 1974, they bought their home in Anna Maria, where Pat would live for the rest of her life.
“Back then, the Island was still a resident-based community. Probably 99% of the people that worked at Trader Jack’s lived on the Island, back when affordable annual rentals were always available. That’s gone away,” Doug said.
Pat left Trader Jack’s in January 1978 when she was pregnant with their first daughter, Layla Copeland.
Island Historian
After giving birth to Layla in 1978 and to Anna Maria Copeland in 1980, Pat spent some time as a stay-at-home mom. In 1981, she became a stringer for the Island Herald. Over the years, she picked up additional freelance duties with several other publications including The Bradenton Herald, Camp-orama magazine and The Weekender. In 1987, she became the editor of the Anna Maria Islander Press, where she also served as a reporter.
When the Islander Press closed, Pat bought all the bound newspaper copies, clip files and other files to prevent them from potentially being destroyed. Anna Maria Mayor Ray Simches put Pat and Island historian and author Carolyne Norwood in touch with each other and in 1990 the two co-founded the Anna Maria Island Historical Society and guided the development of the Anna Maria Island Historical Museum.
“The first year, they rented the old vet’s office on Crescent Avenue and Ed Chiles paid the rent and the utilities,” Doug said.
A year later, the Historical Society moved to the museum’s current location on Pine Avenue.
“History is important. For the Island, there was no better history than the old newspapers. Pat wrote the Island’s history every week,” Doug said of the news stories that can still be read at the museum.
When asked what Pat loved about being a reporter, Doug said, “The interaction with people. She was honest, had integrity and felt she could present an accurate sense of what was happening on the Island.”
In the 1980s, the Copeland family took a pair of month-long summer camping trips in a Volkswagen bus with family friend and well-known
Little League baseball coach Lou Fiorentino. After Lou died, Pat, Doug and others started an annual fundraiser in Lou’s name to raise money to send Island kids to off-Island summer camps, which they did from 1998 to 2014.
When asked how Pat will be remembered, Doug said, “She was a great wife and mother. Honest, ethical and loved by many. I’ll miss her. She was always willing to have a good time.”
Mother Extraordinaire
“She was a great mom. She welcomed everyone in our house. I could show up with anybody and say, ‘Mom they’re having dinner with us,’ and she’d say, ‘OK, no problem,’ ” Layla said.
“Pat’s philosophy was she’d rather have the girls here with their friends than have them out somewhere else not knowing who they’re with or what they’re doing. That’s a pretty good philosophy,” Doug added.
“The 1960s helped shape my mom’s consciousness and who she was. She was part of the hippie era, adamantly opposed to the Vietnam War. She protested for her beliefs, but she also never lost sight of the American soldiers who were her neighbors, classmates and friends. The music of the 1960s was the soundtrack to our childhood and she shared her love of music, writers and poetry with us,” Layla said.
When asked what she learned from her mom, Layla said, “I learned how to cook, how to sew, how to be a mother and how to be a wife. She gave me my best friend, my sister. When mom’s breathing got bad and it was hard for her to talk, we’d text with her every day.
“She was always really funny, really silly and she always made you laugh. She was really generous and always thinking of others. She loved watching our kids draw and play in the pool. When she could no longer go outside, she’d open the window and sit there to watch them play and still be a part of it. We always had a Sunday or Saturday dinner here. In this family, food is love and she was a great cook,” Layla said.
“We always ate together. Both girls became great cooks because they grew up thinking food was important,” Doug said.
“When I was 14, I decided I was going to be a vegetarian and my sister later joined me,” Layla said. “Mom taught herself how to cook vegetarian food and she cooked two meals every night: one for her and dad and one for my sister and I. Every day, until we went to college, she packed us a gourmet lunch to take to school. She took the best care of us,” Layla said.
Anna Maria Copeland lives in Rockville, Maryland. When asked about her mom, she said, “There was so much about my mom that was wonderful. She always uplifted people. Like a lot of parents, she told Layla and I that we could be and do anything, but she really meant it. Whenever I expressed a doubt about my abilities or qualifications, she would gently explain why whatever I was worrying about wouldn’t stop me from doing the thing I wanted to do if I truly wanted to do it. I saw her do this for other people as well. She had a special way of helping people believe in themselves. Another thing that was truly special about my mom was her open heart. She had love and kindness for anyone who needed it. She welcomed so many people into our home and lives and enriched all of us in the process.
“When my daughter Lily was born, I was surprised by how natural and easy it felt to be a mother. Later, I had the realization that it was easy because I had the best example to follow. I learned how to cook and bake and sew from her. I learned how to navigate the world with an open heart. I learned patience. I will miss her love and understanding. I will miss watching her and Lily goof off together. I will miss sitting up late together talking about life. I will miss cooking and eating together.
“I want people to know how special my mother was. She was funny and smart. She loved rock-n-roll and acting silly. She was kind and thoughtful and creative. She wasn’t afraid to be different and she helped others feel comfortable in spite of their differences,” Anna Maria said.
Pat’s sister, Anna Hayden, said, “Pat had such a positive influence on my life. She opened my eyes to the world and always encouraged me with my art and photography. To see that she also had such a positive impact on her community makes me so very proud to be her sister.”
Community icon
In 2017, Pat was named the city of Anna Maria’s Citizen of the Year. Last week, the flags at the museum, City Pier Park, City Hall and the City Hall annex were flown at half-staff in Pat’s honor.
Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said, “The loss of Pat Copeland is a heavy loss for our Island community. Pat blazed a trail that is now her legacy. She was the woman who brought to life the images and tales from our Island’s past. Knowing our history is a key ingredient for a community to remain relevant and instill a sense of pride in its citizens. Pat made us all aware that we are ‘Anna Marians,’ ” he said.
Historical Society Vice President Barbara Murphy said, “The Historical Society has lost a devoted friend. Pat and Carolyne Norwood not only had a passion for the Island history, but the vision and determination to preserve it for generations to come. A year ago, the Historical Society’s annual scholarship awards were named after Pat. Thank you, Pat, for your contribution to preserving our rich Island history.”
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said, “Pat was an original. She had a deep connection to the Island and was a talented writer. She will be truly missed. We are fortunate to have the years that she invested in her historical work that helped preserve the Island’s treasures.”
Holmes Beach City Clerk Stacey Johnston said, “Pat was a beautiful person. Her smile was contagious. She absolutely loved her family, community, her job and her friends. She was an excellent writer; one I could always trust. Her perseverance towards the history of Anna Maria Island will allow Pat’s memory to live on forever.”
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said, “She always gave the police department a fair shot. She reported everything fairly and she mentored other reporters to do the same. She was always a pleasure to speak with. I will miss her.”
Retired WMFR Fire Chief Andy Price said, “As a reporter, she would always ask questions so she could understand the issue – and not just enough to write a story. What she reported was accurate and it told the right story because she understood what was going on. When Pat wrote an article, it was accurate to the T. Pat was one of the best journalists I’ve ever dealt with. Pat was a wonderful person and it showed in her reporting.”
Former Holmes Beach Mayor and County Commissioner Carol Whitmore said, “I met Pat when I first got into Island politics in 1991. Throughout the years we became friends and we still communicated after she left the paper. She was a wonderful person and she had a passion for the Historical Society. I’m happy I got to know her and Doug.”
Bradenton Beach Mayor John Chappie said, “Pat was a wonderful lady who really loved the Island community. She was a real giver and she was always there for the community.”
Island resident and business owner Ed Chiles said, “Pat was dedicated to the history and the character of the Island. She was indefatigable, always working on it and never not involved. She was a great citizen of the Island. She will be missed but she will not be forgotten.”
Bradenton resident and longtime family friend Jean Couser said, “I’ve known Pat since the 70s, when she and I were waitresses at Trader Jack’s. Pat and Doug were schoolteachers who escaped the cold for something new, but I don’t think Pat ever strayed very far from educating people, even if she didn’t do it in a classroom. Her family was so important to her and she and Doug created a purposeful life together. They raised two smart, talented women and Pat had a big influence on how successful those girls are.
“Pat’s talents went way beyond writing. She sewed Halloween costumes and knitted baby blankets. She surrounded herself with creative people and the parties she and Doug hosted were never dull. In many ways, I think Pat was the spirit of Anna Maria. She was always doing research for Historical Society, doing a story for The Sun or collecting books for her Little Free Library. She really loved the community.”
AMI Historical Society board chairperson Liz Hager said, “We’re going to miss her. I loved working with Pat and Doug. Doug is a good friend of the museum too. I hope what they did for and on Anna Maria Island for so many years is appreciated. They named their daughter Anna Maria. That shows quite a bit of loyalty to the Island.
“When Pat could no longer stay on as president of the board, I was recruited to take it over. I loved going to talk to her and learning from her. During COVID, she’d leave a chair for me outside on the lawn and she would open the window and she’d stay inside and we could chat that way and have her bring me up to date on all the things that still needed to be done for the museum. My husband, Dennis, and I enjoyed going out to dinner with Pat and Doug. They were great connoisseurs of restaurants in the area. We had dinner together in April,” Hager said.
Bradenton resident Carrie Price was close friends with Layla and Anna while growing up on the Island.
“I was a frequent guest at their house for dinner. I probably ate there 150 times. Pat was a big part of my time on Island. She was so welcoming to me and always a great host. I was just one of many people who frequented their house for dinner and their company. Pat was very warm and inviting. She was a wonderful mom. She was so dedicated to the girls and she ran a very organized household. I have a lot of respect for that now that I have my own kids. She was a great reporter and she was so dedicated to everything she did,” Carrie said.
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