Martha Gayle Cooper

1939 - 2021

Martha Gayle Cooper
January 22, 1939 - July 13, 2021
Chelan, Washington - Martha Gayle (Ahlgreen) Cooper, age 82, passed away peacefully on July 13, 2021 in Chelan, Washington after a short hospital stay. Born January 22, 1939, in Lampasas, Texas, and raised in Taylor, Texas, she lived most of her adult life in Nampa, Idaho and later in Boise, before moving to Chelan in 2018. Her love for all things Texas, especially her sister Schatze, never dissipated, and she will be interred later in her family's plot in Taylor.
Education was very important to Gayle. She graduated from Taylor High School in 1957, then received her Bachelor's degree from Southwestern University, her Masters degree from Western New Mexico University, and, fulfilling a lifelong goal, her PhD in Education from the University of Idaho. After retiring in 1993 from her teaching career at Nampa High School, she enjoyed several years with her husband Ran at their house on Lake Buchanan, Texas and took up art as a hobby.
In 1996 they returned to Idaho to be near their new granddaughter in Boise. Gayle became the beloved "Grammy" of Sofi and, a few years later, of her grandson, Ethan. They spent countless hours together playing, reading, painting, and crafting. She also fully supported their many sports, music and other activities, and was a constant loving presence in their lives both when living near and later, far.
An avid fan of the Texas Longhorns, Dallas Cowboys, Boise State Broncos, and Seattle Seahawks, she closely followed sports even after the passing of her husband in 1999. She also had a great love for many furry family members who shared her home over the years, and her granddogs and cats.
Gayle shared her many talents freely, from volunteering countless hours for the Idaho Watercolor Society and the Nampa Art Guild, to sewing costumes for her grandkids. Her patience and thoughtfulness were endless. She smiled often, spoke sweetly, and always genuinely expressed her love to her family and friends. She personified Shakespeare's verse, "Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind."
Gayle's legacy of love and service lives on through her daughters and sons-in-law Roberta (Robbie) and Jon Luke, and Rebecca (Becky) and Clint Broadbent; granddaughter Sofia Broadbent and fiancé Jefferson Washburn; grandson Ethan Broadbent; sister and brother-in-law Carole Ann and Jimmie Preuss; her husband's siblings; and her nephews, nieces and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband Randall Eugene Cooper, Jr. and her parents A.M. "Swede" and Mildred Ahlgreen.
A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, July 18, 2021, at 4:00pm MDT at 3700 S. Maple Grove in the Relief Society Room, and streamed for those desiring to attend virtually. (For the link, please contact a family member.) In lieu of flowers, donations to your local animal shelter are encouraged