Harry Trent Copeland, 60, of Tucson, Arizona, unexpectedly passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 14, 2026.
Trent was born in Walterboro, South Carolina, on June 30, 1965. He was the son of Patricia Stanfield Utsey and the late James Henry Copeland, Jr. He graduated from John C. Calhoun Academy, where he participated in varsity athletics and student government. Trent obtained his bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston. There, he was an active member and officer in the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Trent earned a master’s degree from The Citadel, completed additional pre-medical and clinical counseling studies at the University of Arizona and Arizona State University, and received his medical doctorate from the University of Guadalajara. After practicing medicine in Mexico for several years, he returned to Arizona. Using the unique combination of his counseling, medical, and bilingual skills, he helped scores of patients ranging from victims of substance abuse, immigrants, Native Americans, prisoners, and others suffering from mental health issues.
Trent was also an attentive listener and adviser for his friends and family, all of whom benefited from his thoughtful feedback and insight. He had a playful sense of humor and easily made folks smile or laugh with a pun, a rhyme, an impression, a movie reference, or a funny memory. Trent frequently returned for visits to South Carolina, where he maintained decades-long friendships. On his visits home, he would spend time at his beloved Turkey Run Farm, which he owned with his brother Jamey. There, he would put in a hard day’s work improving the property before settling in for an evening of companionship with old friends or family around the grill or fire pit.
Trent had a quiet, deep-rooted faith. He enjoyed thoughtful hikes amid the natural beauty of the American West. In 2023, he completed a 500-mile pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Along the trail, he worshiped at churches and monasteries, an experience he described as spiritually meaningful.
In addition to his mother, Trent is survived by his step-father Bert Glenn Utsey, Jr.; his brothers Jamey Copeland (Sharon), Steven Copeland, Skip Utsey (Judy), and Madison Utsey (Allie); his aunt Della Robertson; his uncle Frankie Stanfield; nieces and nephews Tabor Floyd (Spencer), Claire Copeland, Bugs Utsey (Joe), Burns Utsey (Shannon), Austin Fosberry (Mikell), Perk Utsey (Olivia), Thomas Utsey, Maggie Utsey, and Louie Copeland; cousins Mark Stanfield, Craig Stanfield (Melody), Chris Stanfield, Margaret Craven, and H.B. Stanfield, Jr.; and a great-nephew and great-nieces. He was preceded in death by his father, his uncles H.B. Stanfield and Harold Robertson, his aunt Jane Williams, his cousin Joey Stanfield, and a nephew Madison Utsey, II.
A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at Bethel United Methodist Church, 355 Hampton Street, Walterboro, South Carolina. The family will have a private graveside ceremony. The family will welcome friends at an informal gathering to share memories and to celebrate Trent’s life at Turkey Run Farm, 3484 Cane Branch Road, Walterboro, South Carolina, beginning at 2:30 p.m. on January 31, 2026. Memorials may be made to a charity of your choice.