William A. "Bill" Cooper Sr.
May 06, 1946 - April 01, 2015
Obituary
Cooper, William A. "Bill" Sr.
MADISON- William A. "Bill" Cooper Sr., age 68, passed away Wednesday, April 1, 2015 after suffering a brief illness. Born, May 6, 1946 to Carl and Helen (Stearns) Cooper, Bill grew up to graduate from Longview High School in Longview, Texas. Shortly after graduating in 1966, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Two years later, on Jan. 6, 1968, Bill wed Mary Reeves in Marshall, Texas. Following their wedding, he completed tours in both Vietnam and Germany, before retiring on Oct. 31, 1986, after 20 years of service. Once Bill returned to civilian life, he attended Kilgore College in Texas to become a gold smith and horologist. Shortly after, they moved to Wisconsin, where he opened Cooper's Tinker Box in Middleton. Bill later closed his shop to return to school, earning his associate's from Madison College and his bachelor's from Concordia University in Business Management. Bill is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Cooper; granddaughter, Tori Cooper of Madison; son, William (Susan) Cooper Jr. of Garland, Texas; brothers, Carl (Mary Jo) Cooper of Bryan, Texas and Mike (Cindy) Cooper of McKinney, Texas; brothers-in-law, Charles (Mary Lou) Reeves of Marshall, Texas and Donald Reeves of Marshall, Texas; two aunts and numerous nieces and nephews. Bill is further survived by his special extended family, Elizabeth Kalupa, Laurence and Gina Roldan and their children, Joanna, Mauricio, and Adiel all of Madison, and Helen and Paul Wagabaza of Middleton. He was preceded in death by his parents; and parents-in-law, Pud and Loraine (Ballweg) Reeves. A Memorial Mass will be held at ST. MARIA GORETTI CATHOLIC CHURCH, 5313 Flad Ave., Madison, at 1 p.m., on Saturday, April 25, 2015, with Father Vince Brewer presiding. Visitation will be held at the church from noon until the time of the Mass on Saturday. Memorials may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "If you can't laugh, life isn't worth living." –William A. Cooper Sr. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com
Gunderson Fitchburg
Funeral & Cremation Care
2950 Chapel Valley Road
(608)442-5002
Events
Visitation
Sat Apr 25, 2015 @ 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CDT
St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church • 5313 Flad Ave, Madison, WI null
Celebration of Life
Sat Apr 25, 2015 @ 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CDT
St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church • 5313 Flad Ave, Madison, WI null
Photos
No photos of William have been shared yet.
Memories
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Bryan Brennion
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"May the peace which comes from the memories of love shared, comfort you now and in the days ahead."
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Glen & Jacque Cobb
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We graduated with Bill from Longview High School's Class of 1965...he had a great sense of humor and was truly a good guy. Our entire class will be saddened by his passing.
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Connie Golden
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To Mary and your family. Bill is where he's always been heading. He is celebrating Easter in the ultimate Easter resort. Let all of us be at peace with that fact. He had his sense of humor that will live in our hearts and we will share his stories with others. May we hope that others may do the same for us in our own passing. Take care.
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Joan Linn
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So sorry Mary to hear of Bill's passing. He was certainly one of a kind and always brought a smile with all his joking. I'm sure that you and your family will miss him terribly. God bless all of you.
Joan Linn
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Judy Holtz
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My deepest sympathy to Mary and the entire family. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
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Liz Aiello
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I first met Bill when he opened Cooper's Tinker Box next door to my door shop in Middleton back in '93. He was so friendly and always there if I ever needed him. I would also see him sitting on the bench in church at St. Maria Goretti's on Sunday mornings. I world is missing one of the good guys today. Safe travels Bill. You will be missed. Liz Aiello