Ruby Dale Ruffin Copeland | Obituaries

Ruby Dale Ruffin Copeland, born Sept. 13, 1935 in the Big Creek Community, passed away peacefully on May 1, 2023 at her residence surrounded by family.

Ruby was a member of First Baptist Church in Ellisville.

She was a 1953 graduate of Ellisville High School and went on to Gilvoy School of Nursing in Jackson, where she received a nursing degree as a registered nurse. Ruby worked in surrounding hospitals and later joined the Navy in 1966, where she was a Lieutenant JG. Nine months later, she was honorably discharged due to multiple sclerosis. Ruby loved to draw and paint and do many arts and crafts.

Ruby was preceded in death by her mother Mary Lucienda Dykes Ruffin; father Nolan C. Ruffin; brothers Arvis Henry Ruffin and Cecil Ruffin; and sister Nelda Herrington.

Ruby is survived by her husband of 56 years Jimmy R. Copeland; three nieces, Emily Hughes (Roger), Connie Williams (Terry) and Tonya Parish (Scott); three nephews, Terry Herrington (Lynn), Kevin Herrington (Jan) and Kyle Ruffin (Katie); and a host of great-nieces and great-nephews.

Caregivers were Lillie Gavin, Annie Campbell, and Donna Bayless.

Pallbearers will be Scott Parish, Kevin Herrington, Terry Herrington, Michael Keene, Terry Williams, Kelton Keene and Devin Herrington.

A funeral service will be at Memory Chapel Funeral Home in Laurel on Thursday, May 4, with family visitation at 12:30 p.m., public visitation at 1 p.m. and the service at 2 p.m. Interment will be in Our Home Universalist Cemetery in Ellisville. Dr. Greg Spencer and Rev. Robert Fennell will officiate.

To sign the online guestbook, visit www.memorychapellaurel.com.

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