Obituary of frank henry cooper

Frank H. Cooper Jr. Feb 13, 1926--Feb 21, 2022 Frank H. Cooper Jr. of Gulf Breeze FL. passed away peacefully after a long life well lived. He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank H. and Gladys Cooper of Decatur GA., his brother Dan S. Cooper of Sandy Springs GA., his first wife Dixie Elder Cooper, and Jane Waters-Cooper. He is survived by daughter Rebecca S. Cooper of New Orleans LA., and son Stephen E. Cooper (Martha) of Gulf Breeze FL.; granddaughter Jennifer Cooper-Lang of Chattanooga TN. along with three great grandchildren Maddox, Avery, and Easton, all of Chattanooga TN. Mr. Cooper was raised in Decatur GA., graduated from Decatur Boys High School, and Georgia Institute of Technology after serving in the Coast Guard as a radio operator and LORAN instructor during World War II. He then entered the emerging carpet industry, owning several carpet and yarn dyeing facilities before beginning a second career in the textile chemical field. Forming The Cooper Company in the mid-70's, Frank continued to provide innovative chemical and machinery products to carpet yarn producers until his retirement in 1994. The one constant throughout Mr. Cooper's life was his love for the water and boats, both power and sail, having owned more than 40 during his lifetime. It was his love for boats that led he and Dixie to bring their 28-foot sailboat down the Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi rivers from Chattanooga to settle in Gulf Breeze and establish his foothold on Pensacola Bay. After Dixie's death, Mr. Cooper eventually moved to Pensacola Beach and married Jane Waters and began a third "career" as a volunteer assistant at The Islander newspaper. After Jane's passing Frank moved back to Gulf Breeze where he lived until his death. Mr. Cooper was blessed to have had many close friends to share his adventures. He and Dixie founded the Pink Flamingos Social Club on Pensacola Beach with dear friends Bob & Patti Barrington, Nona & Chet Christie, and Eric & Claire Marcey. The Flamingos never missed the Krewe of Wrecks events, with their floats and not-quite-legal Flamingo signs, but also took many road trips from the "blue roads" of Louisiana to the mountains of North Carolina in the Cooper's RV, finding a good time wherever they were. The Cooper family would like to thank the staff of Watermark of Gulf Breeze for their care, as well as Covenant Hospice, and in particular, Linda Sizemore, for her skill and guidance. A celebration of his life