Dr. Jack C Cooley

Dr. Jack C. Cooley, 89, of Scottsdale, AZ, passed away on July 17, 2014, with his family at his side. He was born on September 4, 1924, in Redfield, SD to Dr. Frank Cooley and Crystal [Crain] Cooley. Jack had a remarkable career as a cardiac and thoracic surgeon after completing a fellowship at Mayo Clinic. He then had a 32 year career at Carle Clinic in Urbana, IL, where he was Chief of Surgery for nearly 25 years. Jack was associated with the University of Illinois Department of Physiology and the author of 57 articles published on thoracic and vascular surgery. He retired in 1999 and moved to Mesa, Az, with his wife Gloria [Gamage] Cooley. He had a love for golfing, showing horses and dogs, and was an avid fan of sports. He is preceded in death by his loving wife of 62 years, Gloria. He is survived by his sister Joan (Frank) Kiefer; daughters Crystal (Michael DiFiglio) Cooley and Carolyn (Neil) Stamm; son Craig Cooley; grandchildren Jared Stamm and Carter and Cameron Cooley as well as his great grandchild, Zachary Stamm and many wonderful friends. A celebration of his life will be held at 11:00 am, Monday July 21, 2014, at Mariposa Gardens Cemetery Chapel, 6747 E. Broadway Rd in Mesa, AZ. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Carle Center for Philanthropy, 611 West Park Street, Urbana, IL 61801 or The Grayhawk Classic Residents' Foundation, Box 100, 7501 E. Thompson Peak Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ 85255.