TAMPA, Fla. — Longtime East Tampa resident and local community leader Norene Copeland-Miller has passed away at the age of 70.
As a board member for the Historic Belmont Heights Neighborhood Association, Copeland-Miller was a vocal advocate for East Tampa and often took up causes to improve her community.
She also spent decades in government and the social services sectors, where she trained and counseled community members in violence prevention, problem-solving and anger management, among other skills.
She made headlines over the last year-and-a-half for her efforts to protect and preserve the historic Memorial Park Cemetery on E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
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After the owner died, the cemetery was foreclosed upon and sent to auction where a property flipper purchased the property. Copeland Miller was a vocal opponent of the deal and was part of a grassroots effort to push the City of Tampa to purchase the historic Black cemetery where many of her loved ones are buried.
“She was a tireless advocate and expressed an unwavering support for East Tampa - recognizing its value, rich history and its significant contribution to the city she loved,” Aileen Henderson, founder of The Cemetery Society said in a statement. “She often said East Tampa was the heart of Tampa, its center and its core. We are grateful to her family for allowing them to share so much of her with all of us. We send love and strength to those she touched. She was a rock star and a Tampa Legend. She will be missed dearly.”
Copeland Miller was the founder of the Friends of Belmont Heights Memorial Park Cemetery group, a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and a life member of the NAACP.
Emerald Morrow is an investigative reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. Like her on Facebook and follow her on X. You can also email her at emorrow@10tampabay.com.