Anthony W. Cooper

On February 6, 1956, Anthony "Tony" Wayne Cooper, was born in Brooklyn, New York to James and Geraldine Cooper. Tony grew up in a military family where his father James was in the United States Air Force (USAF), allowing him and his family to travel to various countries and throughout the United States. Tony graduated from high school in Zweibruckun, Germany in 1974, where he was the senior class president. After graduating high school, he joined the USAF, following in his father's footsteps and serving his country. After serving four years in the military, Tony returned to Denver, Colorado where he attended college to obtain a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and began working at Buckley Airforce Base where he remained until his retirement in 2018 and officially in 2022. In 1980, Tony started attending church where he met his beautiful wife, his one in a million, Doris Marie at Holy Trinity COGIC, they married in 1981 and added to their union two children, Shadawn, and James" Shawn." He was also the dad to Christopher, Valerie, Denise, Paula, and David-Marcus.

Tony was a football, baseball and basketball coach and a mentor to hundreds of youths for decades. He believed in "leaving no child behind," so he did whatever he could to make sure the youth thrived and succeeded in sports, school and in life and he kept track and followed the careers of players who became professional ball players. His players gave his wife, Doris, a plaque thanking her for sharing Coach Tony with them because he spent so much time with his teams.

After Tony's coaching career, he became a faithful member at Holy Trinity COGIC, where he became the Sunday school superintendent and a licensed minister. After some time, he became a member of Light of Life COGIC, where Superintendent Sudds recommended Tony to the ordination board, to become an ordained elder, so in 2017 he attended the ordained minister's class also known as the catechize class and was ordained as an elder on August 13, 2018.

In 2022, he became a full-time caregiver to his wife Doris of 42 years, until she passed away on September 29, 2023. Tony passed away five months later, on Friday, February 23, 2024. Doris and the good Lord sent Tony a one-way train ticket to Heaven, where they are reunited again. Praise God!

Anthony "Tony" Wayne Cooper was preceded in death by his mother, Geraldine Cooper, his wife Doris, daughter Valerie and grandson Jeremy. He leaves behind to cherish his memory; his father James Cooper, his brothers Victor and Kenneth, his sisters Joann and Connie, his daughter Shadawn, son Shawn, along with Chris, Denise, Paula, David-Marcus, sons-in-law Cleo Edwards and Malcolm Walker, daughter-in-law Charlotte Cooper, 27 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and a host of family, friends, and colleagues.