Springfield’s former mayor always ‘led with his heart’
Current mayor asks Springfield to lower flags in remembrance.
Longtime Springfield Mayor Warren Copeland, who retired in November after not seeking reelection, died Monday at the age of 80.
Copeland served on the city commission from 1988 through 2023. He was elected mayor by fellow commissioners from 1990 to 1994, and he served again as mayor from 1998 until his retirement. In 2003, he was the first mayor directly elected by city voters since 1914.
City Manager Bryan Heck said Copeland was a “true servant leader” who led with faith and passion.
“He cared about Springfield when he moved here right away; he was immersed not only at Wittenberg, which was his job, but the community as a whole, and he right away stepped up to help lead this community,” Heck said. “His legacy will live on forever.”
Mayor Rob Rue said despite their political differences, he and Copeland worked together remarkably well, sharing a common interest and passion for the city and its citizens.
“This whole position as a commissioner and mayor is a nonpartisan role, and making decisions that are best for Springfield was what I saw Warren do, the way he saw being best for Springfield,” Rue said, “and now I will continue to make decisions as I saw him, but the way I feel is best for Springfield with the commission.”
Rue succeeded Copeland after his retirement and served as assistant mayor on the city commission before his election as mayor.
Rue said he met with Copeland in 2016 when he decided he wanted to get into politics, and the then-mayor gave him important advice. He said Copeland was a very compassionate person who always worked with the commission to reach a consensus that would best serve Springfield.
“He led with his heart,” Rue said.
Copeland cared deeply for his community and was often seen at city events, Rue said.
“Warren always showed up,” he said.
Rue asked that anyone in Springfield flying flags lower them to half-staff for five days in remembrance.
Springfield NAACP President Denise Williams said more than anything, Copeland cared about the Civil Rights Movement. She said it wasn’t until he was ill that he missed an NAACP event.
“His main focus was the Civil Rights Movement, and I respected him for that; it was a whole different type of respect that I held for him,” Williams said.
Williams said this was evident in her first meeting with him in 2013 when she was elected NAACP president. She said he immediately expressed his support for her and the NAACP.
Williams said Rue “will have some big shoes to fill” following Copeland.
Heck, who was appointed city manager when Copeland was mayor, said Copeland sat him down to tell him personally his appointment had been approved.
“I was fairly young when I was appointed; I was only 35, and so what Warren saw in me and the trust he put in me meant the world, and I was proud to be able to serve alongside him in this council-manager form of government,” Heck said. “I’m just so thankful for the many years he gave me as well, as an employee of this organization.”
According to the city’s release, Copeland believed “faith is most fundamentally about how we live out lives, about how we live our love and its cousin, justice, in difficult situations.”
Copeland was a religion professor and the director of urban studies at Wittenberg University, and he received the Distinguished Teaching Award in 1995, according to the release. He was named faculty director of the Center for Civic and Urban Engagement, now called the Hagan Center, in 2008.
He and wife Clara Coolman Copeland, a retired city schools kindergarten teacher, have been married since 1965. Copeland is survived by three children and seven grandchildren.
Heck said that his “heartfelt sympathies” go out to Clara and the Copeland family. He said Copeland and his wife were an example of a “true marriage.”
“They were a team, and their love really shone,” Heck said. “They showed what a true marriage was, and I just feel for [Clara]; my heart breaks for her because she lost her best friend. She lost her partner in life. My thoughts and prayers are with her.”
Williams said the couple was always together, and Clara will carry on her husband’s legacy.
“I’ve never seen them apart, even last year when we had our women’s march and the year before that,” Williams said.
Copeland had been admitted to the hospital in October to address an illness and receive rehab. A weekend social media post said he had been placed in hospice care.
Copeland authored two books and in 1997 he edited and authored a study on Springfield titled “Updating the Dream.” In 2009, his reflections on his tenure in city government, “Doing Justice in Our Cities: Lessons in Public Policy from America’s Heartland,” was published.
Rue said a memorial service will be announced at a later date.