Dale G. Cooper

Dale G. Cooper 1918 - 2007 Dale G. Cooper, son of Dale Goodwin Cooper and Verdie Claire Cooper, brother of Claire Cooper Tankersley and the late Dorothy (Billie) Greer, died May 25, 2007. Dale grew up in Holtville and received a bachelor's degree from UCLA in 1940, divinity degree from San Francisco Theological Seminary in 1943, and master's degree in biblical theology from the Seminary in 1954. Dale and Carol Cooper were married for 33 years, until her death in 1975. They had three children--the late David Cooper and his wife, Sheila; Joy Cooper Lindsey; and Stephen Cooper and his wife, Lori. He was grandfather to Brendan and Sean Cooper, Loren Ellis and Carolynn Cooper Neri and her husband, Seth; and Cole and Morgan Cooper. He was great-grandfather to Zyan and Jayden Neri. Dale and Elsie Cooper were married for 31 years, until his death. They were parents of a grown and growing family-the late William Haygood; David Haygood and his wife, Lizanne; Karen Haygood Stokes and her husband, Chandler; James Haygood and his wife, Clare; and Kenneth Haygood. Dale was grandfather to Joshua Haygood and Emily Haygood Wallach and her husband, Scott; Mackenzie Haygood, Jeremy and Dustan Stokes, and Samuel, William Harrison, and Rosemary Haygood. He was great grandfather to Ella Wallach. Dale Cooper served five California congregations: First Presbyterian Church, Arcata (1943-44); Montclair Presbyterian Church, Oakland (1946-53); Christ Presbyterian Church, Terra Linda (1954-59), Ygnacio Valley Presbyterian Church, Concord (1959-69), and First Presbyterian Church, Livermore (1970-75). He was a Navy Chaplain in New Orleans during WW II. His pastoral service extended to Zephyr Point Presbyterian Conference Grounds (1975-84) and Oakhurst Presbyterian Church (1985). He served the church beyond local congregations. He was a longtime member of the Candidates Committees in Redwoods, San Francisco, and Nevada Presbyteries. He was also a member of The Committee on Ministry in each Presbytery. Dale Cooper's life and ministry were intertwined with passion for human rights and empowerment for the poor. He served on the El Porvenir board of directors, supporting work to bring to and maintain clean water in rural Nicaragua. His conscience led him to protest violations of human rights through The School of the Americas, at agencies in Washington, D.C., and with those gathered to protest economic globalization at the World Trade Organization's 1999 convention in Seattle. A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, June 3, 2007, 2 p.m. at the Montclair Presbyterian Church, 5701 Thornhill Dr., Oakland. Memorial contributions may be made to El Porvenir, 2508-42nd St., Sacramento, CA 95817 (www.elporvenir.org).