Matthew Harvey Cooper III

Matthew Harvey Cooper III, beloved father and grandfather, passed away February 17, 2026. Harvey was born in Atlanta, Georgia on November 16, 1931, and is preceded in death by his beloved wife of 52 years JoAnita Cloud Cooper and his oldest son William Cloud Cooper, both of whom passed away in 2015. Since the death of his wife, Harvey has until recently been living at home in St. Cloud with the support of his family.

Harvey was the second of four children, all of whom preceded him in death. In 1954 he earned a degree in engineering from the Southern Technical Institute in Atlanta, and immediately went to work for the Lockheed company, where he rose through the ranks and eventually led teams of other engineers working on various aircraft such as the C141 Starlifter and the C5A Galaxy. After Lockheed, Harvey worked at McDonnel-Douglas in Tulsa, Oklahoma on the design of the F-15 Eagle, and he ended his career at Martin-Marietta in Orlando, Florida, where he proudly and patriotically helped with the design and manufacture of such systems as the Pershing II and the Patriot Missile.

Harvey also served in the U.S. Army Reserve during the Korean Conflict, achieving the rank of Sergeant First Class and receiving an Honorable Discharge in 1960.

All of his life Harvey was a faithful Christian, thanks primarily to his mother Myrtice Jackson Cooper who saw to it that he and his siblings were raised in the Church. Harvey worked on the construction of the Virginia Avenue Baptist Church in Atlanta, where he was a member and where he taught Sunday school for many years after completing course work at the Baptist Intermediate Union in Nashville, Tennessee in 1948.

It was at the Virginia Baptist Church that Harvey met the love of his life, JoAnita Cloud Newton. His love and adoration for JoAnita began at first sight and never ended. They were married for 52 years and 10 months when JoAnita passed away. Together they raised three children: William Cloud Cooper who preceded Harvey in death, Matthew Harvey Cooper IV, and Zletta Kimberly (Cooper) Shipley. Harvey and JoAnita are also survived by six grandsons who were blessed by his unconditional love, his boundless joy, and his unending selflessness.

As Paul wrote to the Philippians, "I thank my God every time I remember you," we thank God for Harvey. He was a great man, an amazing example, and we will always be thankful for his life and the love he leaves behind.

Services for Mr. Cooper are pending and under the care of Fisk Funeral Home, St. Cloud, Florida