Farewell Big Cat

Beloved Dallas chef Randall Copeland has died

Randall "Big Cat" Copeland, R.I.P.
Courtesy photo
Randall Copeland with Ali Morgan and Matt McCallister.

UPDATE: Randall Copeland's funeral service takes place on Monday, April 8, at 11 am, at St. Pius X Church, 3030 Gus Thomasson Rd. in Dallas.

---

Randall Copeland, the well-liked chef and co-owner of Restaurant Ava and Boulevardier, died on Tuesday morning. He was 39. According to a spokeswoman for his restaurant, Copeland died in his sleep; the cause of death was not known.

Nicknamed "Big Cat," he had an irrepressible and playful spirit.

"He was about as well liked as any chef in town, a standup guy who tried to elevate everyone around him," said Jimmy Contreras, a friend and colleague. "He was as big a presence in front of the house as he was behind the house."

"We just had a long conversation on the Good 2 Go patio. He was always the life of the party," said chef Jeana Johnson, who worked with Copeland at the Green Room.

"His cooking had a lot of soul," said FT33 chef-owner Matt McCallister. "He took a rustic, simplistic approach and tried to treat everything with respect. We were literally emailing yesterday about a dinner we were going to do out at Ava two weeks from now. I have the menu in my email."

Copeland was born and raised in East Dallas. He attended the culinary program at Skyline High School, followed by El Centro College. He worked at the Park Cities Hilton, the Eastern Hills Country Club in Garland and the Green Room under chef Colleen O'Hare. He left Dallas in 2004 to work at Bradley Ogden inside Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas before returning to Texas in 2007 to open Restaurant Ava, with longtime friend and chef Nathan Tate.

In 2012, he co-opened Boulevardier, a French bistro in Bishop Arts, with Tate and brothers Brooks and Bradley Anderson. The restaurant made many local "Best of 2012" lists, including the Dallas Morning News and D Magazine.

Brooks Anderson, co-owner of Boulevardier, released the following statement from himself, his brother Bradley and chef Nathan Tate:

Early this morning Nathan, Bradley and I were informed of the tragic news that our friend and business partner, Randall Copeland, passed away in his sleep last night. At this time, no further information of Randall’s untimely passing is known. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and extended network of friends in the chef community and beyond. RIP Big Cat. You will be sorely missed.”

Recently he had gotten into running and would proudly post his run times on his Facebook page, where testimonials have already begun to pile up: "Devastating news about my friend and a great man" ... "RIP to a great chef and wonderful man who lived life to the fullest." ... "I don't think I have ever nor will I ever meet another man like you, thanks for always being such an inspirational man." ... "One of the things Randall said to me recently was "I love life – and I'm going to LIVE it every day." He did." ... "My heart aches!"

He leaves behind parents and a brother.

Chefs Taylor Kearney and Nathan Tate announced that they'll be cooking at Restaurant Ava while things get sorted out, and they are asking friends and admirers to come out to Ava on Tuesday night and celebrate their friend.

Copeland's last post was on Sunday night, a characteristically enthusiastic entry touting mixologist Jason Kosmas: "Tasting J's spirits with the boys at Bolsa. Kuddos to you Jason, here's to all the hard work. Glad to call you my bud!"

unspecified

RIP Kelly

Beloved Dallas public relations maven Kelly Hunter dies at 58

Photo courtesy of Sunwest PR.

Kelly Hunter passed away on June 12.

A beloved Dallas media figure has died: Kelly Hunter, a public relations maven who helped restaurants and other small businesses thrive, passed away on June 12, following a brief illness; she was 58.

Hunter spent 35 years in the field of public relations, first at Shiroma Southwest, then at Sunwest Communications, where she served as Vice President, Lifestyle, Hospitality & Tech.

She played a key role in a creative alliance with the City of Addison, particularly its annual Kaboom Town 4th of July event. Other notable clients she promoted over the years include Galleria Dallas; the Statler Dallas hotel in downtown Dallas; Hotel Dax, the Statler sibling that recently opened in Addison; and the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Dallas Love Field.

A statement from Sunwest said that "Kelly’s unparalleled work ethic and encyclopedic knowledge of countless subjects were exceeded only by the passion she had for her job. She made an incredible impact on all she met. Kelly was a good friend, a great mom, and an even better wife to her husband, John."

Hunter was the consummate PR pro, embodying both the detail-oriented precision and the 24/7 responsiveness that the job calls for, along with a doting personal touch that was felt by her coworkers, clients, and members of the media. Hunter was beloved by her peers, as well — no small feat in the cut-throat world of Dallas media.

Chuck Steelman called her "amazing — one of the best public relations professionals I’ve ever worked with." Patricia Valderrama described her as "the warmest and kindest soul. Never saw her angry or upset ever." Allison Golden Tucker posted, "It always seemed like Kelly had more hours in the day than most. Her storytelling ability was second to none and she always had time for a quick word of advice."

Barbara Kovacevich highlighted Kelly's effectiveness, noting that "she elevated Addison events to national recognition. It’s hard to not link Kelly with Addison Kaboom Town. Kelly was driven to success and had a great heart for others."

Kelly was born in Dallas on June 28, 1967. Her parents were Joanne Washburn and John Alexander Jr., and she had a younger sister, Amy. She graduated from Plano Senior High School, going on to earn degrees in marketing and finance from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA in marketing from the University of North Texas.

She and her husband, John, had two children, Chandler and Reagan, and the four were frequent travelers.

She was also a lifelong volunteer, from the PTA at her children’s elementary school, to Junior League of Collin County, Women’s Auxiliary for Children’s Health, Chamberlain Ballet, and the National Charity League. A culinary enthusiast in work and life, she was recently inducted into Les Dames d’Escoffier.

"Kelly did everything in life with a cheerful attitude and a warmth that made everyone feel special," the statement from Sunwest said. "Her network reaches every corner of the DFW metroplex and beyond as a talented storyteller, fabulous home chef, and a dedicated friend. She was loved and admired by all who knew her."

Services will be held on Saturday, June 27 at 11 am at Christ United Methodist Church in Plano. The service will be live-streamed at cumc.com/memorial.

deaths