Kimbrough Johnston Cooper

Kimbrough Johnston Cooper

March 28, 1962 - February 24, 2023

Kimbrough Cooper, 60, of Jackson, Tenn., passed away on February 24, 2023, at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. He passed peacefully with his son and cousins Patrick Ryan and Melissa Meriwether Moore by his side.

Kimbrough was born to Paul and Jennie Cooper, Jr. on March 28, 1962 in Jackson, Tenn. A lifelong resident of Jackson, he was very proud to be a JCM Cougar Class of 1980. Having earned his degree in Social Work from Union University, he devoted his life to helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In addition to working at various nonprofit organizations that helped such individuals, he served on Tennessee's leadership team for Partners in Policymaking, a network of trained advocates and leaders in that field, and he founded Anchor for Life, an agency that provided assisted living services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

He was extremely proud of his son, Cole, and loved spending time with him. One of their favorite traditions was attending the bull riding competition together at Oman Arena every January. He faithfully watched Ole Miss Football and enjoyed discussing politics and religion, especially end times prophecy. If anyone ever needed to know a random "factoid" or anything about WWE Wrestling, he was the person to ask.

Kimbrough is survived by his son, Cole Cooper (Jackson, Tenn.); his brother, Berry (Oxford, Miss.); his nephew, Will (Memphis, Tenn.); his aunts Martha Brewer, Sue Ryan and Ann Johnston (all of Jackson, Tenn.); a host of loving cousins and beloved relatives and lifelong friend John Beare. He was preceded in death by his parents and his younger brother, Andrew.

In order to help find a cure for Muscular Dystrophy, Kimbrough donated his body to science. An informal memorial gathering will be held on Sunday, April 2 from 1-3 p.m. on The Blacksmith Restaurant's patio. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his memory to either The Muscular Dystrophy Association (https://www.mda.org/ways-to-give) or the Lee L and Martha Brewer Scholarship at Union University, 1050 Union University Drive, Jackson, TN 38305.