Jerry Dee Cooper

Jerry Cooper left us on Thursday, April 20^th, 2023.

Born into humble beginnings in a coal mining town in West Virginia, he knew that hard work and education were his way to a better life.  He worked in the steel mills of Ohio to pay his college tuition and went on to earn three advanced degrees.  He met the love of his life, Sue, while working on one of his Master’s Degrees and built a home and a life with her in North Carolina.   They raised two children, Julie Cooper Clevenger and Mark Cooper and became proud grandparents to Scarlett and Jeremy Clevenger.  He loved animals and was also “dad” to two special four-legged girls, Lucy and Maddie.  

Jerry loved to hunt, fish and read the Wall Street Journal.  He devoted his professional healthcare career to helping the handicapped and the elderly.  He had high standards for the clients and patients he helped and challenged others to meet those standards to provide the best care possible.   His favorite motto was “make a plan, work a plan” because he was a great planner and organizer and felt those skills were necessary to be successful.

He was devoted to his family and to helping others.  He loved unconditionally and was always more concerned for the welfare of others ahead of his own.  He looked for the goodness in other people and when he saw it there was no limit to the lengths he would go to from anonymously providing tuition money to a struggling student to saving a family business because he respected the character of the owner.  

Jerry died peacefully in his own bed in a beautiful home he had built for his wife.  He has left the people who knew and loved him with a legacy to be proud of.  He will be greatly missed and never forgotten.

A memorial service will be conducted at 10:30 AM Saturday, April 29, 2023 at Hayworth-Miller Kinderton Chapel by Rev. Francis Smith. The family will receive friends following the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations to either of the following or to the charity of the donor’s choice would be greatly appreciated by the family:

Forsyth County Humane Society: 4881 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27104 or the North Carolina Wildlife Association:  1701 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1700 or online at ncwildlife.org