“June! Shag and drag!
Kenneth Woodrow Cooper ‘Ken’, 86, passed away peacefully December 26, 2023, at home surrounded by his beloved and dedicated wife and three daughters. He was the son to the late Hilda Lela Cooper and Woodrow Wilson Cooper.
Ken was born and raised in Tampa, FL where he was the oldest of seven siblings. He graduated Pasco County High School, Dade City, FL in 1956. During his senior year of high school, Ken enlisted in the National Guard where he served for eight years as a cook.
During his career, Ken held three jobs. His work ethic was impeccable, so much that he never called out of work. He had a way with words where he could sell ice to an eskimo. Ken was employed with Sears as a delivery truck driver. During that time, he met the love of his life, June, whom he has been married to for sixty-six years. Years later, Ken and June moved to Gadsden, AL with their three daughters and Ken became a milkman with Mello Dairy. During their time in Gadsden, Ken and June welcomed another daughter, completing their family with four girls. Ken then became employed with Townecraft Cookware where he was a devoted in home demonstrating salesman selling cookware all over the SouthEast for over fifty years. Ken was promoted to SouthEast Regional District Manager and moved to Warner Robins, GA to start the Dixie Regional Division. Under Ken's leadership, the Dixie Division was recognized as the number one division in sales, receiving multiple awards.
Ken also known as, "Woody, Woodrow, and Paw-Paw" lived a full life. He was an avid golfer that enjoyed golfing with his sons-in-law and grandsons. He accomplished to have three Hole-In-Ones over the years. He enjoyed traveling all around the world, but his favorite places to visit were the tropical islands. That is where he found his taste of love for Jamaican rum. When Ken was not traveling or golfing, you could find him sitting on his lanai with his cocktail and cigar listening to George Jones. Family meant more to Ken than anything, and he always looked forward to people visiting. When it was time to leave after a visit, he would say, “You checking-out.” Ken was known to be a jokester and loved to tell jokes. His favorite phrases of all time were “Hey Buddy” and “Son of a Bitch.” He was known for loving old movies, specifically, Driving Miss Daisy and On Golden Pond.
Ken was predeceased by his parents; his daughter, Sharon Cooper Herren; sisters, Marion “Sissy” Newlan, Myrtis Steciuk; and brothers, Larry Cooper, Don Cooper.
He leaves behind his loving wife, Delores June Cooper 'Granny'; daughters, Lisa (Tom) Dent of Macon, GA, Patricia (Rick) Myrell of Bonaire, GA, Allison (John) Green of Kingsland, GA; seven grandchildren, Christopher Varnadore and Ashley Varnadore, both of Bonaire, GA, Mallory (Jack) Wilson of Auburn, GA, Brittney (Matt) Mullis of Macon, GA, Benjamin (Victoria) Green of Kingsland, GA, Tom (Rebecca) Dent of Culloden, GA, and Parker Green of Kingsland, GA; nine great-grandkids, Mackenzie Branson, Abagail Imel, Kenlie Imel, Ryan Green, Weston Dent, Brooks Wilson, Tyler Green, Waverlee Dent, and Beckett Mullis; and sisters, Linda (Dave) Harrington of Dover, FL, and Eva Allbritton of Jasper, GA.
The family wishes to express their sincere thank you to Ken’s Hospice nurses, Tim Watts, Kellie Loyd; as well as caregivers, Avis Felts, and Pam Brown for taking care of him during this past year and for all the love and support they have shown.
We design every page from Kenneth’s 24 photos. Make it yours, then order a copy for everyone who loved Kenneth.
Family milestones in gold, history for context
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thinking of you today
missing you so much Daddy wishing you were here missing your voice your laughter missing your hugs and your kisses I love you so very much I hope you and Sharon are having the best time of your life love always your daughter Patricia
missing you
he's been gone a year now Daddy it seems like yesterday we were standing by your bed listening to you tell stories and making us all laugh. Christmas was not the same this year without you it's been hard on Mama but you know we've got her she misses you so much as we all do I miss your smile I miss your laugh I miss your touch I miss your voice I miss walking over and seeing you set on your Lanai with your coffee or beer smoking your cigar and just enjoying the fresh air andthe scenery. I miss making you your BLT sandwiches and watching you eat them and enjoying them telling me how good they taste I miss everything about you Daddy. I'm so sorry I miss so many years with you but I'm thankful for the ones that I had with you when I had them I love you so much miss you more and more everyday.
Forever and always love, Pawpaw’s Snoot
Asking me to tell you about every single memory i created with pawpaw would be like asking someone to resite the whole dictionary including descriptions and definitions. Meaning it would take way to long… i could talk about my morning routines with him on weekdays consisting of me wanting to sleep in and skip school, hearing “SNOOOTT!” from the living room to the play room to wake me up and not getting up til i hear him walking, recognizing his footsteps in the hallway plus the sound of change and other various things he carried in his pockets at 5-7 am, and jumping up before he could get to me. And then when i would finally get up how he would have cantaloupe with salt, avacados, bananas and other fresh fruits already out at the dining table ready for breakfast with whatever news channel he desired that day, normally the weather channel, CNN, or 13WMAZ... Then getting to the bus stop an extra 15 mins early, waiting there every single day, making sure i didn’t pass a certain crack in the driveway or else i was “too close to the road”… then how i’d get home off the bus at 3:30-4, supper would be on the table, and id watch him douse his whole meal in salt and pepper, and he would make sure we would eat in almost complete silence “so he could eat in peace.”… or the times where we’d sit in HIS recliner, with his right leg propped up on the chair arm and me on the other eating ice cream straight out the tub… or the hot days where i would ride on the “floorboard” through the fields on the riding lawn mower… or how we would walk all around the magnolia tree every year when they’d bloom and smell the freshest ones we could find, and bring them in for granny in a glass of water… or in summer we would tend to the garden and the end of summer would come around and we’d go pick figs, persimmons, and muskadines … or hearing him yell about me slamming a door or not shutting it in a timely manner… or how we weren’t allowed to get out of the pool on the side because he didn’t want to mess the lining up but really he just didn’t want us to get hurt… or when i would go up and down the slide of my play-set nearly 50 times just to hear him say “and now presenting, the beautiful miss bonaireee!!” again, and again as i would slide down... these are just examples from a younger age, but the list of stories and memories i could tell you about is endless. and of course some seem more meaningful than others, but quite frankly everything i did with pawpaw played a part in molding me into the person i am today, the parent/grandparent i want to be in the future, and created a visual of what i want to find in a man to call my husband and to start a family with… he played a bigger role than just a “great-grandfather”, and stepped up as more of a father for the girls and i… there’s so many more memories i wish i had time to make with him. But to cherish the beautiful times we all had together, ive created this tribute for him. We all have so many individual stories to share of the time we had with him and this is the space to do so. Even though this is meant to be a memorial for him, i purchased this as a gift for our beloved Granny, and his bride. Please use this to look back on all of the love and laughter we shared and continue to share as a family. On the days that feel harder than others, you can use this to look at how blessed you are to have a man who took great pride and loved you and the family you created together. You can also continue to add your own memories here. These medallions are connected to a page dedicated to sharing all the good times we had, simply scanning the QR code with your camera on your phone will give you a link to open this page up, and see any new tributes or memories added, or the ability to add your own. each time you visit him and aunt sharon, you can scan it, and add whatever is on your heart through your voice-text, and even add pictures, audios, or or videos as well. Please utilize this memorial as a reminder of how loved you were and continue to be. Merry christmas Granny!! and oh yeah, JUNE!!! SHAGG AND DRAGG ❤️
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Story Time With Pawpaw Thanksgiving 2022 Pt.2
Story Time With Pawpaw Thanksgiving 2022
“Hello Darlin”- Conway Twitty
“I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow”- O Brother, Where Art Thou?
“Driving”- Driving Miss Daisy
“The Andy Griffith Show, Starring Andy Griffith…”