Robin Hagel Cooper

1957 - 2018

On Friday, October 5th , 2018, Robin Hagel Cooper passed away at UF Shands Jacksonville, finally succumbing to complications of a long and incredibly painful illness. She was born in Jacksonville, on March 28, 1957 and was the youngest
daughter of Dr. Donald Hagel and Bette Hagel of Jacksonville. She graduated high school from St. Johns Country Day School in Orange Park, then attended Cottey College in Nevada, MO, and graduated from Florida State University in 1981 with a Bachelor's degree in Nursing. Nursing was a job she loved. She worked for many years as a nurse at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, St. Luke's Hospital in Jacksonville, and at Mayo Clinic. She left hospital nursing to pursue a career in the home healthcare field, working with IV specialty drugs with several companies including Gentiva, Coram, Accredo, and Lifecare Solutions starting as a nurse, then promoting into management. In 2013, she retired in St. Augustine, FL. Being a nurse requires compassion, empathy, sacrifice, and a driving desire to help those around you, and Robin was the embodiment of that. Robin was always an active supporter of women's education issues, having been a long-time member of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O), a philanthropic organization that promotes and supports women's education and success. In 2014, She and Beverly Carmichael, the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Flagler College, started the Women of Vision fund to provide scholarships to deserving women, and Robin served as it's first Chairman. In 2015 the fund held it's first fundraising event, the "Power of the Purse", and it was an immediate success. Now an annual event, it continues to contribute tens of thousands of dollars to the fund, changing the lives of the recipients forever. Chairing the board and helping lead it to the success it has become was her passion and, perhaps, the achievement of which she was most proud. That was pure Robin - selfless, generous, and striving to make a difference in people's lives. She loved entertaining at her home in Davis Shores and, during football season, the Cooper house became party central for her Seminoles and Jaguars. She was a Harley girl, and loved rides on "the loop" she and her husband Brad traveled frequently. She also loved to travel, especially taking cruises. She and Brad visited dozens of places around the world and had many fun and amazing adventures.
She is survived by her husband, Brad, and her beloved pets, Stripes, Kaki, and Bailey. Her other surviving family are her mother, Bette Hagel, sister Jennifer Pate, sister- in-law Katherine Hagel, and her nephews Matthew Hagel and his wife Kimberly, and Andrew Hagel and his wife Shirley. She was preceded in death by her father, and her brother, Gregory Hagel.
A celebration of Life ceremony will be held at Craig Funeral Home, 1475 Old Dixie Hwy, St. Augustine, FL at 3 PM, followed by a reception at Markland House, 102 King Street, St. Augustine. If you choose to not send flowers, consider making a donation to the Women of Vision fund (Women of Vision, Flagler College, 74 King St., St. Augustine, 32084, c\o B. Carmichael). In that way, her legacy of generosity and support will continue well into the future.
Craig Funeral Home., Crematory and Memorial Park (www.craigfuneralhome.com) is in charge of arrangements.