Robert L. Cooper
Robert “Bob” L. Cooper, life-long Stevens Point resident, passed away peacefully in the early morning of Sunday, March 26, 2023; not too much earlier than he used to go out for his morning run; after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease.
Bob was born on August 24, 1948 to Roman and Mary Ann (Glodowski) Cooper. He attended the Catholic schools in town, graduating from Pacelli High School in 1966. He continued his education at Marquette University, graduating from Marquette’s dental school in 1972. Following dental school, Bob enlisted in the Army, going in as a Captain, and stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, CO.
He met his soulmate and the love of his life, Nancy Meyer, on June 24, 1969, when he sold her a car while working for his father at Cooper Motors. It is still debated if Bob, being part of the deal, increased or decreased the price of the Trophy Blue Oldsmobile Cutlass S. Bob and Nancy were married on July 31, 1971, and enjoyed 51 consecutive years of marriage. While stationed in Colorado, they welcomed their first child, Jonathan “Jon”. In 1974, they moved back to Stevens Point and opened Cooper Dental on October 16th of that year. They welcomed two more boys into the mix with the births of Christopher “Topher” and Timothy “Timmy”.
Bob was passionate about his community, serving it in too many capacities to list. He found his happy place on Fence Lake in Lac du Flambeau, WI, where he and Nancy built a cottage in 1981, affectionately known as Camp Recoop. His most joyous event was watching the sunset with family and friends while listening to Gordon Lightfoot and drinking a scotch; J&B on the rocks, with a splash of water and a twist of lemon. Bob’s passions in life were running; he had a 22-year streak of running EVERY day at least 3 miles a day WITHOUT MISSING A DAY; cars, family, friends, and Fleet Farm where you could find so many things you never knew you needed. When you became Bob’s friend, it was a life sentence. He and Nancy were highly skilled at staying in touch with friends from every stage of their lives.
Bob is survived by his wife, Nancy; sons, Jon (Jen) of Prior Lake, MN, Chris (Cathy) of Polonia, and Timmy (London) of Stevens Point; grandchildren whom called him Papa Bob, Lucy, Elena, Eloise, Bob, Curt, Phineas, and Poppy; brothers, Jim (Karen) and Mike, both of Stevens Point; sisters-in-law, Barb Lind of Georgetown, TX and Mary (Herb) Rasmussen of Delafield, WI; and many nieces, nephews and dear friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; stepmother, Shirley Cooper; and brother-in-law, John Lind.
In honor of Bob, have some cookies, at least two or it’s not worth it; eat some ice cream, three scoops minimum; or drink a Diet Coke. He had a tremendous sense of humor and would remind you all to Live, Love, Laugh, and most importantly, Life is Good! Raise your glasses and make a toast – to good friends…until we meet again, Bob.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly suggest donations be made to the American Parkinson’s Disease Association (apdaparkinsons.org) or the Community Foundation of Central Wisconsin – Cooper Family Fund (https://cfcwi.org/).
A funeral service to honor Bob’s memory will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, April 14, 2023 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church – 600 Wilshire Blvd., Stevens Point. Friends and family are invited to gather and share memories on Thursday, April 13, 2023 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at The Muse at Sentry, and again on Friday at the church from 9:30 AM until the time of service.
Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.shudafuneral.com.