Mr. Cooper was born Saturday, October 23, 1948 in Henry County, Georgia. He was the son of Ida Byrd Vessell and the late James Thomas Cooper.

He is survived by his daughter, Heather Carney; his grandchildren, Reilly, Hana and Nathan Carney; his mother and step father, Ida and Kenneth Williams; his sisters, Ruby (Pete) Hayes, Daisy Nile, Helen (John) York and Patricia (Tom) Hill; and his brothers, Forest Cooper, Larry (Ann) Cooper and Charles Cooper.