Helen Dortch Coop

Family, friends, home, travel, career, and supporting the Memphis Tigers were the loves of her life. High energy, infectious enthusiasm, an indomitable spirit, and living life to its fullest were her hallmarks. By nature, a compassionate and sophisticated lady who appreciated, loved, and courageously celebrated life’s miracle with innocent abandonment, childlike excitement, and uncommon wisdom.

Helen’s career required travel to all major US and Canadian cities, where she enjoyed the local sights, customs, entertainment, and cuisine unique to the area. She complemented that with vacations to multiple countries in Europe, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Alaska, and the Caribbean, which added a degree of international culture to her disposition. Helen was a vibrant source of motivation and dauntlessness in life, going back to high school where she was a cheerleader, trumpet player in the band, and member of the BETA club. She mastered active challenges, including every water sport on the lake with her grandchildren, white water rafting, snowmobiling, trout fishing, and the pursuit of bargains at flea markets.

But her true love was family, for whom she enjoyed hosting joyous parties for all holidays and special occasions. She was the matriarch for all seasons and a proud homemaker with talent, who took great pleasure in personally decorating her home. She was the family’s de facto interior designer, from whom most sought advice on finishes in their homes.

The majority of Helen's career was in broadcasting. She was a pioneer in her field, beginning as the Traffic Manager at WMC-TV, responsible for scheduling all commercials that aired on the station, among other duties. Under her leadership, WMC-TV became the pilot station for DCC, Data Communication Corporation, to design and develop their Broadcast Information Automation System (BIAS) in 1969. That experience, followed by working for Pepper-Tanner as a media planner and buyer, made her more than qualified to join DCC, to assist in modernizing broadcast operation systems and earn the title from its founder, "Mother of BIAS". For over twenty years, she traveled the US and Canada for DCC, later known as JDS, Jefferson Data Systems, training the staff of television and radio stations on the use of BIAS, which, at its core, managed more than half of all US broadcast advertising's dollar volume.

Helen was the consummate employee, receiving awards and accolades wherever she worked. Nothing illustrates that better than when she left WMC TV to work for Pepper-Tanner, and every employee, from Station Manager to the door attendant, signed a petition appealing for her to reconsider and continue her employment with WMC.

After retiring from DCC, Helen began a different path as the co-founder and CFO of her and Bill’s general contracting business, Coop and Associates, Inc., and by choice, she worked up until the past year.

Helen was born in Bragg City, MO, and is survived by her husband of 68 years, Bill Coop, and their children, Cindy Coop West and her husband, Dave, of Memphis, and sons Bryan Coop and Tim Coop of Olive Branch. She leaves behind nine grandchildren: Ronny, Kenny, Shannon (Mike), Gannon (Kathryn), Kate (Cameron), John (Heather), Olivia, Chris, and Will, her great-grandchildren, Marley, Keagen, George, Helen, Bonnie, and Olivia, her sister, Glenda (Van) Winton, cousin and dear friend, Kathy Davis, and multiple nieces, nephews, and cousins. Helen is preceded in death by her parents, Clois and Laura Dortch of Bragg City, MO.

A cremation has taken place, and we kindly invite you to join us for a celebration of Helen's life on September 13th at 11 AM, followed by light refreshments from 11:45 AM to 1 PM at Brantley Funeral Home, located at 6875 Cockrum Rd, in Olive Branch.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that you donate to the American Cancer Society, https://donate.cancer.org, the American Heart Association, https://www.heart.org, or the charity of your choice.