William W. Cooper

1984 - 2025

William W. Cooper
12/01/1984 - 10/08/2025
William "Will" Wade Cooper, age forty, passed away on October 8, 2025, in Houston, Texas. Will was born on December 1, 1984, in Durango, Colorado. He graduated from The Woodlands High School (The Woodlands, Texas, class of 2003) and Texas Tech University, after which he worked as a mechanical engineer. At other times in his life, Will lived in Farmington, New Mexico and Mondorf-les-Bains, Luxembourg, where he attended the American International School of Luxembourg. It was there that he began to develop his knack for foreign languages. Will also loved reading, video games, cooking, and travel. He avidly followed Red Raider football, and he could drive a golf ball further than most.

A gentle soul, Will was thoughtfully quiet with a subtle sense of humor. He passionately loved his family. He and wife Lauren were married in 2017. Their son William Everett, born in 2023, was the joy and pride of Will's life.

Will loved hole-in-the-wall restaurants and people watching, the latter mostly as an opportunity to show off his ability to remember the faces of strangers and tell you precisely the last time he saw that person, in that particular location, and with whom. He loved goofy conspiracy theories and the quesadilla explosion salad at Chili's and had a Futurama quote for every situation. Before his son was born, Will's primary hobby was scaring himself silly playing whatever terrible indie horror video game topped the Steam store, but with fatherhood his interests quickly shifted to board books, zoo trips, and learning the Saja Boys' "Soda Pop" dance to entertain his son.

Will was funny and nonchalant to the point that it felt like an incredible compliment just to catch his attention in conversation or make him laugh. He was a dutiful father, faithful partner, and hard worker in a world that didn't always appreciate him. Will was a comedically unlucky person in many ways and would be the first to point out that his current situation is par for the course for such a life. He never felt unlucky though-and never once in his forty years did he give up, even in the toughest of times.

It would be inaccurate to describe Will as spiritual in the traditional sense, but he was a resolute believer in the scientific principle of the conservation of energy. Energy is never lost; it just changes forms. One of the last conversations he had with his family was a lament that he had been born a thousand years too early to explore the universe ("be a space pirate" was his exact phrasing), followed by excitement for his plan to buy a telescope and show his son the stars. His family and friends will look to the stars now, knowing exactly where his energy has gone.

Will is survived by his wife, Lauren Atencio Cooper, and son, William Everett Cooper; his father, William Kirven Cooper, and stepmother, Pam McBee Cooper; his mother, Stacy Mulanax Kennedy (husband Michael); his half-sisters, Teresa Cooper Frye (husband Bret) and Leslie Cooper Tipping (husband Tony); and his stepbrother, Brandon Bross (wife Jessica); as well as his four nephews-Walker Frye (wife Celia), Connor Frye, Hunter Voorhies (wife Paige), and Kyler Voorhies; along with many friends.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Lt. Col. Joseph Banks and Frances Elizabeth Kirven Cooper; and Col. Robert Verdell and Betty Dunlap Mulanax.

Will has been released from earthly cares and is in peaceful sleep forever. He will be sorely missed. In his memory, you are invited to donate to the charity of your choice or simply take a moment to enjoy the night sky.