Gordon F. Cooper

"What would you have said if, in 1946, someone told you that within a decade I would be sitting within a couple thousand feet of the A-bomb explosion, listening to an American symphony orchestra playing the Star Spangled Banner before a predominantly Japanese audience?" Gordon Cooper wrote his parents in 1959 as a U.S. Army private from Japan. "Last night it happened," he marveled. "What else can I think but that nothing is impossible."
Cooper lived his anything-is-possible philosophy. Friends and family could see the results, from his around-the-world trip as a 25-year-old, to his ability to embark on a new career and become a successful financial planner in mid-life. He won a child custody case in 1979 and raised his son as a single dad, an unusual feat in the early 1980s. Cooper, 92, passed away on February 17, 2025. He was married for 39 years to the love of his life, Barbara "Bobbi" Cooper, and was a lifelong Chicagoan until his retirement to the Carolinas in 2015. He raised two children, Andrea and Adam, who inherited his sense of humor, love of learning and obsession with chocolate. He gained a bonus daughter, Jessie, with his marriage to Bobbi.
Born in 1932 during the height of the Great Depression, Cooper said he was a "surprise" baby. His parents' modest means didn't stop them from introducing him to their passions. His dad took him to baseball games at Wrigley Field to see both the Chicago Cubs and the brilliant pitcher Satchel Paige, who played then in the Negro Leagues. The outings led Cooper to be a devoted fan of baseball and all things sports for 80 years. His mother bought the only tickets at Orchestra Hall she could afford, the unreserved seats high in the gallery, so her young son could hear legendary musicians Vladimir Horowitz and Jascha Heifetz. As a child Cooper would race up the many flights of stairs to nab the best seats for his mom and himself. He continued developing his love for music, opera, theater, Broadway musicals, and film all his life and nurtured these interests in his children.
His Russian Jewish immigrant parents were immensely proud to see him become one of the first in the family to earn a college degree. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1954 with a bachelor's in business administration. Within a few years he served in the U.S. Army at Camp Kure in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Cooper worked in packing and crating until somebody realized this guy might be more effective as the company cashier. His time in the service led to a life-long appreciation for Japanese art, food, and culture. Following his discharge, he traveled to India, the Middle East, and Europe, the first of his many extensive travels. Upon his return he joined his parents at the family business, Cooper's Shoes, a shoe store and boutique with three locations and fashionable styles from New York. He also opened an ice cream parlor, The Purple Cow, featuring a player piano and the richest ice cream, including purple-hued vanilla.
When those businesses closed and his first marriage ended in divorce, he had to start over. He found his true professional calling as a financial planner and investment adviser, eventually opening his own successful firm with several friends. He found love when he met Bobbi through a pre-Internet Jewish matchmaking service. Though the family lore is that he nearly blew it on one of their first dates when he challenged her word in a Scrabble game, she decided to forgive him. Together they enjoyed visual and performing arts, good food, travel, and anything that could make them laugh. Cooper told the crowd at his son's wedding that he didn't know what a happy marriage was until he met Bobbi.
He was proud of his Jewish heritage. Though not religious, he purchased a Star of David in Jerusalem during a family trip for his son's bar mitzvah and wore it the rest of his life. His other interests were eclectic. He was a skillful chess player, a talent passed on to his son and grandson. He ardently followed current events and led a continuing education discussion group at Northwestern University. A master of movie trivia, he leaves his son to carry on the tradition.
Cooper is survived by his wife of 39 years, Barbara Cooper, son Adam Cooper (Careen Halton), daughters Andrea Cooper (Alan Tobias) and Jessie Zlatnik (Ebb Zlatnik), granddaughters Laurel Tobias (Thompson Bertschy) and Daisy Zlatnik, and grandsons Noah Tobias and Simon Zlatnik. A service honoring Gordon Cooper's life will be held on Friday, May 30, 11 am, at Shalom Memorial Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Arrangements by Ner Tamid Funerals, 847-504-7336 or www.NTFunerals.com.