Jean Cooper

Jean Chapman Cooper, age 90, passed away peacefully at UAB Center for Palliative Care in the early morning of September 5, 2025. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents William and Eunice Chapman of La Follette, TN; sisters Helen Graves (Nolan) of Detroit and Merle Johnson of Cincinnati.

She is survived by her husband of 71 years, Gary M. Cooper; daughter Patricia Noto (Paul); sons Gregory Cooper (Leigh Anne) of Charleston, SC, and Gary "Chip" Cooper of New York City; granddaughter Emily Godsey (Brook) of Jacksonville, FL; great-granddaughters Anna Godsey, Daphne Godsey, and Judith Godsey; great-grandson Dock Godsey; and brother-in-law Clarence Johnson of Cincinnati.

Jean was born in Walnut Grove, TN on April 18, 1935. Her early life was in very humble surroundings in the mountains of rural East Tennessee. Life took a dramatic change when her family moved to Baltimore during World War II. After the war Jean returned to Tennessee where she graduated high school and ambitiously entered East Tennessee Baptist Hospital School of Nursing/ University of Tennessee, going on to graduate with honors as a RN. Most of Jean's nursing career was in OBGYN and the delivery room, where she especially enjoyed taking newly born infants for viewing by relatives anxious to learn whether it was a boy or girl. She and Gary moved to Birmingham from Asheville, NC in 1969.

Jean had a deep sympathy and compassion for nature and the environment along with the elderly and animals. She belonged to and held leadership positions in many community organizations related to those causes including Hoover Garden Club, Hoover Service Club, and the Assistance League of Birmingham. She also enjoyed gardening, birding, cooking, tennis, and bridge. Jean's natural "green thumb" was evidenced by her outstanding yard with its abundance of beautiful plants and flowers that was admired throughout her neighborhood. She was also a talented athlete playing basketball in high school and was introduced to tennis by her son, Gregory, at 45, which led to becoming a Ladies League Captain at Green Valley Country Club and playing tournaments in the Birmingham area well into her early seventies. She loved to travel, making many trips across the United States and abroad to Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia as part of her fascination and respect for other cultures & people. But the highlight of her travels were the several African safaris she took to Tanzania, Kenya, and Botswana. Surrounded by animals in the Serengeti or the Okavango Delta was, to her, very spiritual and life changing. To quote Jean, "never, in my wildest dreams, did I think a girl from the rural mountains of Tennessee would have such experiences". But most of all, Jean was a loving, devoted, and extremely caring wife and mother as well as very supportive and loyal to her many friends. One friend called her the "the best of the best" which she certainly was.

In appreciation of their exceptional care, the Cooper family wishes to thank Linda Jones DNP, CRNP of UAB House Calls, the entire staff at UAB Center for Palliative Care, and Jean's compassionate home caretakers Delleree Louie, Tameka Phillips, and Teresa Moore.

The family will receive friends on Wednesday, September 10 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Currie-Jefferson Funeral Home in Hoover, with interment at the Alabama National Veterans Cemetery in Montevallo on Thursday September 11 at 12:30 p.m.. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Nature Conservancy of Alabama at 3700 First Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35222.