Her son said she was a wonderful mother.
Doug Riddell
I met her once in New York after a Broadway play. Everyone got out at the same time and was trying to hail a cab. My wife, my son, his wife, and I, kept walking up 8th Avenue toward our hotel, near Columbus Circle, and stopped to talk with this nice lady, who was also trying to catch a cab. We promised to share a cab IF we could stop one. Suddenly my wife said, "You're Joan Copeland. I've watched you forever on the soaps." We walked and talked, but never managed to catch a cab that night. She was SO kind. After that, my son and I (avid Law & Order fans) realized that Mrs. Copeland played a judge on that series from time to time, and we are delighted when we see her. I'm so sorry to hear of her passing. Such a wonderful, gracious, and unpretentious lady. May she rest in peace.