W. T. Cooper Jr.

W. T. Cooper, Jr.

August 18, 1923 to September 3, 2017

W. T. Cooper, Jr. passed away peacefully on September 3, 2017 in Pensacola Florida. W.T. was born in Calvert, Mississippi on Aug 18, 1923 to Will Tom and Annie Chisolm Cooper.

W.T. was preceded in death by his loving wife of 63 years, Irene “Tootsie” Cooper, five sisters, Mary Boyett, Emily Juanita “Nita” Dickson, Sibyl Cooper Nellums, Margaret Annelle Kelson, Sarah Cooper Diamond, one brother, Marbury Cooper and his grandson, Thad Kenneth Mitchell. One of W.T. and Tootsie’s favorite things to do was “Saturday Night” dancing at Shirley and Wayne’s Dinner Club where they could frequently be found “dancing the night away”.

As a young man, W.T. was a Golden glove boxer who was undefeated at Casino Beach. He continued to box and remained undefeated while in the US Navy. W.T. also played Baseball with the Brownsville Tigers and enjoyed playing semi pro football in the Pensacola league.

W.T. served in both the Civil Service and in the U.S. Navy during and immediately following World War II. In October of 1947, he began a career that spanned over 27 years with the Pensacola News Journal. While at the Journal, W.T. held various positions, including District Manager of the Circulation Department, Credit manager, Personnel Manager, and Director of Circulation. After retiring from the Journal, he worked at a management level for a finance company and automobile dealership and then decided to become a real estate salesperson providing professional services to his clients in the Pensacola area.

W.T. is survived by his four children, Eileen “Snookie” Marier (Patrick) of Oceanside, CA, Ruby Ann Mitchell (Mark) of Pensacola, Cynthia Carneal (Harry) of San Diego, CA, and Robert Cooper (Annie) of LightHouse Point, Fl. W.T. has thirteen grandchildren, nine great grandchildren as well as nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends. He was very proud of all of his children and grandchildren for their many accomplishments, including most importantly that all of his children were able to go to college and pursue successful careers.

W.T. was active with St. John’s Episcopal Church in Warrington. He was proud of the many years of service that he dedicated to helping the Church and its’ members grow and prosper.

A graveside service will be celebrated at 3:00 PM Wednesday, September 06, 2017 at Bayview Memorial Park. BAYVIEW FISHER-POU CHAPEL, 3351 Scenic Highway is entrusted with arrangements.