John Cooper was born on October 8, 1931, the son of Eugene and Mayme Cooper. He grew up in his birthplace of New York City, along with his five siblings: Eugene, Blanche, Lucy, Muriel and Lenwood. The family was close-knit, supportive and hard working. Years later, John would affectionately recall his childhood years and would often speak of the deep love and support he received from his family. He clearly benefited from very close relationships with his siblings and would fondly recollect how his sister, Muriel, helped him with his homework. John also idolized his father and often marveled at how he strived to support his family while working in such insecure jobs as life insurance sales and real estate.
John adopted a similar work ethic in his own life. He excelled in his studies and progressed to earn a B.S. and M.S. from New York University. Shortly after marrying Madlyn Stewart in 1955, John accepted a position with IBM as a statistician and settled in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he and Madlyn built their first home together. They had four children: Kym, Karen, John and Paul. In 1972, continuing his career with IBM, John and his family moved to White Plains, New York. He eventually retired from IBM in 1986, and later worked for H.R. Block for 20 years as a tax preparer.
In 2007, John suffered a stroke from which he never fully recovered. He bravely battled long-term illness before passing away on February 6, 2015. He is survived by his eldest daughter, Kym Cooper; youngest son, Paul Cooper, and wife Dahlia; younger brother, Lenwood Cooper, and wife Angela; his grandchildren Javana, Joshua, Alanna, Zoe and Christian; and a host of loving family members.
John will be remembered as a kind and supportive man who loved interacting with people from all walks of life. He was intellectually gifted and had an unshakeable love of foreign affairs and history. It wasn’t unusual to find his home office full of books, magazines and maps related to his wide range of interests. Forever an optimist, John often talked of how the world was evolving to become a better place, and he wholeheartedly believed in the strength of humanity. In his retirement, he tirelessly and lovingly imparted his humor and positive perceptions of the world to his children and grandchildren. John is mourned by his family and friends and will be deeply missed. The family is comforted that he is now at rest and in a far better place.
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