Mary Cooper

Cooper, Mary Josephine

Mary Josephine Cooper, 78, passed away peacefully on the 11th of March, 2025, surrounded by love and family. She was a beloved sister, mother figure, aunt, great-aunt and friend. Mary Jo attended St. Bernard's school and church, and Shawnee High School in Springfield OH, moving on from there to graduate from Wright State University with a BA in History. She began her career at Wright-Patterson AFB and worked for the U.S. Air Force for 30 years, retiring in 2001 with the Outstanding Civilian Career Service Award. She was a Past President of the Alamo Chapter of the American Business Women's Association in San Antonio, and the volunteer coordinator for the Friends of the Upper Arlington Public Library. She is survived by her brothers Lawrence and John Cooper and William (Susan) Valentine-Cooper, her nieces and nephews Joanne Valentine-Cooper, David (Marie) Valentine-Elam and Michelle Saint-Jacques, and her grandnieces and grandnephews Elizabeth and Declan Saint-Jacques, and Benjamin, Harold, and Samantha Valentine-Elam. She will be remembered for her spirit of generosity, her notable friendly conversational manner that enabled her to put anyone at ease, her sense of humor that always struck when least expected, and her kind and loving care of family and friends when needed most. A memorial gathering will take place at 10am April 21, 2025, at Schoedinger Northwest. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made by mail to the Friends of the Upper Arlington Public Library (ualibrary.org/friends/).