Gary Cooper, who heroically battled heart disease for decades while living life to the fullest, passed away Feb. 18, 2011, in Denver. He was 75.
Rabbi Joel Landau and Cantor Zachary Kutner officiated at the Feb. 20 service held at BMH-BJ. Interment followed at Rose Hill Cemetery. Feldman Mortuary made the arrangements.
Slightly over a year ago, Mr. Cooper was injured in an automobile accident, which caused his health to further deteriorate.
When his cardiologist told us that the medical options were becoming increasingly limited, our dad simply wanted to know what the new game plan was, his sons wrote in an eulogy read by their wives.
It was this unbridled optimism that sustained Dad for decades . . . Over the years, like a cat with nine lives or James Bond, he overcame everything to get back out there and enjoy his life.
Mr. Cooper was born Oct. 17, 1936, on the West Side to the late Gertie and Jake Cooper. He attended Cheltenham, Lake Junior High and North High.
He went to CU, where his dorm mate was future actor Robert Redford, and later transferred to DU. He was the first in his family to earn a college degree.
Mr. Cooper, who worked with his parents at Cooper Heating, served in the Air National Guard in the 1950s and 1960s as a Morse code operator.
He married Bina Friedman on March 20, 1960.
Mr. Cooper then worked at Cooper Investments, a real estate firm, with his brothers Richard and the late Michael Cooper and his uncle Irving Hook.
After his retirement, Mr. Cooper remained an active supporter of his sons business and retained a keen interest in architecture and design.
He loved sports, particularly the Broncos and the Rockies.
An amateur horticulturist, he played tennis for many years and later took up golf. He belonged to Green Gables and BMH-BJ.
Mr. Cooper is survived by his wife Bina Cooper; children Devin (Alison) Cooper, Shawn (Sue) Cooper and Jason (Sara) Cooper; brother Richard (Stacy) Cooper of Paradise Valley, Ariz.; grandchildren Etti, Noa, Jonah, Molly, Finn, Helen and Maeve; and uncle Irving Hook.
Contributions may be made to the Gary Cooper Cardiac Research Fund, University of Colorado Foundation, PO Box 17126, Denver, CO 80217; or the Gary Cooper Family Fund, BMH-BJ.
Copyright © 2011 by the Intermountain Jewish News
