Cooper Boris Holmes

Cooper Boris Holmes, (“Bart”), Professor of Psychology (Emeritus) at Emporia State University, died peacefully at home on October 6, 2025. He was 83 years old. Cooper was a neuropsychologist and named the Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor in 1990. He retired in 2013 after teaching for 42 years at ESU and working in the mental health community. He usually went by his childhood nickname, “Bart.”

Cooper was born in Hydes, Maryland, in 1941. His father, Denny B. Holmes, and his mother, Velma “Cass” Clarice Ferren Holmes Hartzler, both were from Virginia. In 1943 Cooper’s family moved to Topeka, Kansas, when his father, serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps (U.S. Air Force), was stationed at Forbes Field. Cooper graduated from Highland Park High School in 1959 and enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve at the age of 17, serving in the 109th General Hospital Unit. He served 8 years before receiving his honorable discharge in 1967 and was proud of his military service. Cooper then earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Washburn University in Topeka and did research for two years at The Menninger Clinic (1964-1966). In 1966 he received a NDEA Fellow to attend Bowling Green State University in Ohio where he would earn a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology. In 1971 Cooper received his Ph. D. from the University of Toledo, in Ohio, all the while working full-time at the Toledo State Hospital for five years.

Cooper then returned to Kansas with his wife and young daughter to begin his teaching career at ESU. In 1985, Cooper would complete a postdoctoral internship in neuropsychology at the Kansas City Veteran’s Administration Hospital Center in Kansas City, Missouri. He was a licensed psychologist in both the state of Kansas and Missouri. His career would include working as a Consulting Psychologist (1972-2013) for The Mental Health Center of East Central Kansas, part-time. He was also a Consulting Psychologist (1973-1984) at the Manhattan Psychiatric Clinic in Manhattan, Kansas. Cooper also had a private practice (1984-2005).

Literature and music were Cooper’s main passions. He had a profound love of literary classics, such as Charles Dickens, and was also fascinated by Vietnam history. Inspired by Elvis Presley in the 1950s, he picked up guitar at a young age, and could often be heard strumming radio hits by the likes of John Denver. Later, he tried his hand at the banjo so he could play the bluegrass music popular in the hills of Virginia where his parents hailed from. But he also loved listening to Baroque- and Classical-era music and Vietnam-era popular tunes.

A distinguished writer himself, Cooper wrote eight books for clinical and academia, 100+ professional journal publications and national presentations, and even served as a psychology consultant for a crime thriller novel by New York Times best-selling author Marcus Sakey. He received The Scholarly Activities award for research (1984-1986) from the College of Education at Emporia State University. Cooper was also a clever and resourceful handyman around the house and a superb chef. He took great joy in cooking for others. His famous tamales known and loved by many.

Cooper was preceded in death by his mother and stepfather, Velma (1987) and Sherman J. Hartzler (2010), father, Denny B. Holmes (2005), wife Judith Wiley (1982), sister Carman K. Morstsorf (2018), brother Bickley B. Holmes (2021), and nephew Todd Holmes (2023).

Cooper is survived by his wife Dee Ann Holmes, whom he married in 1984, and his younger brother, Darl Holmes of Topeka, Kansas. Cooper has two daughters by his first marriage; Brenda K. Holmes-Thomson and Deborah D. Sage (Alan), both of Emporia, Kansas. He has two stepdaughters, Dr. Katrina Dee Ramsell (Chris) of Beaverton, Oregon, and Lisa Sophia Verdon (Will) of Blue Mountains, Ontario, Canada. Cooper and Dee share 11 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren ranging in age from 8 to 40 years old. Ashley M. Froelich-Rangel of Olathe, Kansas, Andrew M. Froelich (Ashley) of Bonner Springs, Kansas, Brandon Z. Holmes (Amber) of Liberty, Missouri, Jordin R. Holmes (Maranda) of Olathe, Kansas, Kadin E. Stinson of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Benjamin C. Ramsell of Beaverton, Oregon, Trenton L. Stephens of Emporia, Kansas, Matthew C. Ramsell of Beaverton, Oregon, Daniel C.T. Ramsell of Beaverton, Oregon, Noah R. Verdon of Blue Mountains, Ontario, Canada, Ella A. Verdon of Blue Mountains, Ontario, Canada, Allie K. Rangel of Olathe, Kansas, and Silas C. Rangel of Olathe, Kansas.

At Cooper’s request there was no memorial service; however, the family had a private prayer service in celebration of Cooper’s life on December 28, 2025 while family was gathered for the Christmas holidays. Cooper had a strong Christian faith and wrote in his autobiography, “I believe God has a plan for all of us and that both the good and bad are part of that plan. That has led me to my basic outlook on life that we must accept and deal with whatever life is offering: after all, it is part of a grander plan. I hope to be remembered as a good and kind person.” Cooper’s faith never wavered. He is a much-loved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, who will always be greatly missed, but now is at peace.