Verda Maria Copeland

Ms. Verda Maria Copeland, age 84, of Bellevue, TN, passed away on July 19, 2026, from a courageous battle with cervical cancer. Born on March 21, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, to Eugene and Yvonne (Chevalier) Schanz and raised in Mokena, Illinois. Verda lived a full life as a mother of five children, working downtown Chicago as a legal secretary for Gerald Petacque the majority of her life until she moved to Bellevue, Tennessee where she worked at Tom James Company until retirement and then part-time at TJMaxx after retirement. She is preceded in death by her husband, Frederick Copeland, in 2005. Also preceded by daughter-in-law Judith (Clarke) Copeland. She is survived by her five children: Jeffrey and Christin (Essin) Copeland, Lisa Copeland, Julia Copeland, Aaron Copeland, and Christopher Copeland. She also leaves behind her three grandchildren: Catherine Copeland, Phillip Copeland, and Isabella Kochopolous. Verda was well known for her storytelling, line dancing, and love for maintaining a social calendar full of events like Fifty Forward, Memoirs, and luncheons with her church friends. Verda enjoyed life and was adventerous as a young girl traveling to Germany to visit family with her father. Verda was a devoted Catholic dedicated to the Church and also her family. She will be missed by her children and grandchildren who perceive her as the matriarch pillar of the family. Verda was known for her sacrificial, saint-like love as a mother and grandmother. She will be deeply missed. A visitation will be held on August 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Henry Catholic Church in Nashville, TN. It will be followed by a mass at 11:00 a.m. A graveside service will be held on August 10, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at St. Mary Cemetery in Mokena, Illinois where Verda will be laid to rest nearby her mother and father next to the old historic St. Mary Church in which she received her First Communion.