MISSOULA - Roger Lee Copeland, 38, of Missoula, died of injuries sustained in an airplace crash Monday, Sept. 20, in the Mullan Pass area of Idaho.

He was born July 24, 1955, at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, the son of Lee and Donna Sutherland Copeland.  Roger graduated from Billings West High School in 1973.

He joined the U.S. Navy in 1974, and spent eight years in Navy aviation as a mechanic in Okinawa.  He also was in the navy Search and Rescue at Whidbey Island, Wash.  Following his discharge, he was employed by the Kane Association at China Lake, Calif., until 1989.

On April 23, 1988, he married Allyson Shepherd at China Lake.

At the time of his death, he was employed at Northstar Express and the Washington Corp. and Spray Plane maintenance in eastern Washington and Hermiston, Oreg.

Roger's love was flying and he was also a world-class competitive skydiver in the Navy.

Survivors include his wife, Allyson, at the family home in Missoula; one daughter, Alyssa, also at home; his mother, Donna Copeland of Bozeman; his father, Lee Copeland of Missoula; two brothers, Rory Copeland of Clancy and Russell Copeland of Clinton; and three nieces, Tracy, Melissa and Corinne Copeland.

Services were held at 2 p.m. Monday, Sept. 27, at the Daly-Leach Chapel in Hamilton, with the Rev. Gordon Read officiating.  Interment followed at Corvallis Cemetery with military honors.

The family suggests memorials to Montana Aeronautics and Montana Civil Air Patrol Search and Rescue, P.O. Box 5178, Helena 59604.