Brown Township Trustee Passes Away After Bout with Cancer

Sam Copeland was a beloved member of the Versailles and surrounding community.

Sam Copeland.

(Versailles, Ind.) – Sam Copeland will be laid to rest today.

The Versailles native passed away last Friday at the age of 50 after a battle with cancer.

Copeland was well involved in the community as Brown Township Trustee and a big supporter of the Friendship Volunteer Fire Department. His wife, Amy, also serves the community as Ripley County Auditor.

He was also known as a longtime UPS employee, in addition to working alongside his father in Copeland Construction and Excavating.

Copeland, a 1992 graduate of South Ripley High School, has his name etched in South Ripley athletics lore, as he continues to hold the school record for the shot put.

He will be laid to rest today in Methodist Cemetery at Cross Plains.

“If you ever met Sammy, you would never forget him. He was a formidable figure and had a personality just as large. As the Brown Township Trustee for many years, he worked behind the scenes supporting the Friendship Volunteer Fire Department and our efforts in every way possible,” reads a statement from the Friendship Volunteer Fire Department.