Robert Cooper

Robert ‘Bob’ Cooper

11/18/1939 - 12/22/2019, Aged 80

Bob Cooper was born in Brooklyn, New York to Pearl and Irving Cooper. 

After graduating high school, he joined the Army.  He was stationed in Germany where he worked as an army ambulance driver and dental tech.  Upon returning home to New York, he became an electrician and was a lifelong member of IBEW for 60 years.  He worked in NYC, often wiring open skeleton skyscrapers 40 stories up!  One day, while visiting a friend in the hospital, he met Wanda, a smart and beautiful nurse originally from the small town of Rothbury Michigan.  They were married two years later on April 8th, 1967.

After getting fed up with East Coast traffic, they moved back to Rothbury into the home Wanda’s great Grandpa had built in 1868.  Along with his Father-in-Law Edwin they remodeled that home.  Between them, they could fix just about anything.  Eventually, being surrounded by bountiful land and an extended family of farmers, Wanda and Bob began raising veal calves. Despite his city-boy origins, he found his people in the hard-working, honest Midwesterners in the wooded lands of West Michigan. His Brooklyn accent was always a conversation starter.   

Bob’s daughters remember growing up with a dad busy with farming, frequent visits to the Rothbury Hardware for a cup of coffee, 4H projects and when he proudly earned his private pilot’s license.

Through the generosity of organ donors as well as a devoted caregiver in his wife, he had the chance to live a long life after receiving the gift of two lung transplants.  He and his family will always be grateful to those organ donors and their compassionate families.   

He had many loves in his life including RV traveling, wood working, giving unsolicited advice, dog training, golfing and was a verbose sommelier of boxed wine.  His greatest love was reserved for his wife.

His memory is a blessing.

He is survived by his loving sister Ronnie Cammeyer, his daughters Jennifer Loiacano and Jessie McBeth, grandchildren A.J., Sophie, Levi, Sadie and Eliana and was proceeded in death by his dear wife, Wanda [Gowell] Cooper and brother Michael.  Zt”l

A celebration of life will be held in the summer.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to University of Colorado Hospital Foundation online at https://giving.cu.edu/fund/lung-cancer-colorado or the Oceana County Animal Shelter, 2185 W Baseline Road, Shelby MI 49455.  

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