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Len Copple, former Tempe councilman, dies by Dianna M. Náñez - May. 18, 2010 05:54 PM The Arizona Republic Len Copple's legacy includes the establishment of light rail and an arts center in Tempe, but the people who knew him say they will remember him for his honesty and as a man who stood by his convictions regardless of popularity. The former councilman and longtime Tempe resident died Monday morning from acute lymphocytic leukemia. He was 68. Councilman Ben Arredondo served with Copple on the Tempe City Council during Copple's terms from 1998 to 2006. Copple was a stellar example of what a civic leader should be, Arredondo said. "I thought Leonard was one of the most honorable persons I've served with [Served with? You mean stole with? A partner in crimes committed against the citizns of Tempe]. He stood by his convictions," Arredondo said. "I think that the two things he'll be remembered for are his honesty and his honorable intentions. That's what it takes to be a strong politician that people respect." Arredondo praised Copple for helping lobby for light rail and the Tempe Center for the Arts. But he wanted people to know that Copple's service to the city did not stop after he left the council. "The people of Tempe are going to miss him. [The tyrants on the Tempe City Council will but the rest of us are glad he is dead!] Not only because he served on the City Council but because . . . he served the whole community. [Well he stole from the whole community and gave the loot to the special interest groups that helped him stay in power] He helped Tempe Sister Cities, Friends of Tempe Center for the Arts, The Arc of Tempe (a non-profit serving people with developmental disabilities)," he said. ""He believed in this community . . . and worked very hard for it." Copple's wife, Jean, said her husband was a giving man because he wanted to make a difference in the lives of the people and city he cared about. "He got up every day making the decision to be happy . . . even though everything wasn't always easy," she said. "He was the most generous man I've ever known. He was generous with his time, and with his affection and his talents." Copple's daughter, Cathy Swann, said she was thumbing through mementos this week when she found a letter that described her feelings about her father. "I just got done going through an old letter that I had written to my dad. I think one of the things that really stood out is that he always stood up for what he believed in . . . and demonstrated tremendous character and integrity for his kids and his grandkids," she said. He was a hands-on grandpa whose grandchildren will miss him terribly, she added. "He was the apple of my little girl's eye. Grandpa was her best buddy and he just dropped everything for her," she said. "He never missed my older son's baseball games and spent time with my younger son building things and going on hikes." Funeral Services will be 1 p.m. Sunday, May 23, at Mission del Sol Presbyterian Church, 1565 E. Warner Rd., in Tempe. Copple is survived by his wife, Jean, three children, six grandchildren and a brother. The family said people who want to make donations can give to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (http://pages.teamintraining.org/dm/rnr10/cathyswann) or the Friends of the Tempe Center for the Arts (700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, 85281).
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