John Cooper was my Father-in-law..much more he was my friend. The story that I love to recall is..the first time I visited Claire at home I addressed him as Mr.Cooper..he turned arround and said "John".. I was wearing work clothes (Suit and Tie) the next morning wearing jeans and T-shirt..he said to me" I like you better this way". He had a way of making one comfortable. I miss John much more than words can exy.. I love John Cooper. Rest. In peace.

To swim
To ride a bike
Laugh at dirty jokes
To drive a stick shift (too traumatic for my mother)
Not to curse - unless the situation really warranted it
To always look on the bright side
It's OK to have a beer with lunch
How to field a softball (couldn't hit worth a darn though)
What's inside is more important than outside
To love and care for my family always

When I was a young girl, maybe 8 or 9 years old, a highlight of my year would be visiting my Uncle John and Aunt Thea at their home in Potomac, MD with my family.  I guess you could describe Uncle John as the "cool uncle" in my childhood.

One particularly thrilling event was going to walk the canal near the Potomac River around Great Falls, which was perhaps 15 minutes or so from my Aunt and Uncle's house.  At that time it was a more rural area than it is today, and was frequented by loudly honking geese, who didn't seem to be at all afraid of people.  In fact, as a child, I felt a bit threatened by them.
Not Uncle John, though.  I don't know how he did it, but he somehow managed to sneak up behind one of the geese and grab it around it's middle.  The goose didn't know what hit it!  Then, most exciting of all, the goose stilled in his arms and all of us got to stroke the smooth white feathers.  Talk about making memories!  After that, I pretty much believed Uncle John could walk on water...or at least stay on top of the geese!

10.Don’t take your original driver’s test on a motorcycle (more than 60 years ago)

9.Study for the written test

8.Practice maneuvers for the driving test with orange cones

7.During the driving test, turn your head and look both ways even if there is no traffic on the course

6.Make sure your vehicle is in good working order with no broken mirrors or hard to turn steering wheels

5. Don’t drive yourself to the driver’s test.Have your daughter drive you and sign as the “responsible adult” who brought you

4.Hire a driving instructor

3.Don’t engage the driving examiner in conversation or ask questions about how many penalty points if you hit the curb while you are in the car.

2.Make sure to complete all 3 exams (written, vision, driving) within 90 days to avoid expiration requiring retest

1.Watch for the license renewal form in the mail and don’t lose it!

Dad would always plant a garden with much more food than we could eat. He usually planted 40 tomato plants and then canned them for use in winter.  My mother used to call him Farmer John.

In his last years, I would frequently visit John/Dad in his apartment at BrightView Senior Living. We would share cocktails twice a week and they were usually Manhattans (a favorite of my parents and grandmother). He taught me how to make them the way he liked them and I am sharing his recipe below so all can make them and think of him while enjoying a cocktail!

John Cooper's Manhattans

4 oz Rye whiskey (some use bourbon but Dad always used Rye)
2 oz Sweet Vermouth
Dash of bitters
3 crushed ice cubes
Maraschino Cherries

Mix all ingredients and serve. Warning - this is a sipping drink and can be highly addictive.