Dr. James F. Cooper

Dr. James F. Cooper of Bryan passed away the morning of Tuesday, August 18th 2015. Dr. Cooper was born on August 30th 1927 in Farmersville, Louisiana. He was the 6th child of Clara Isabella Brown and Oliver Columbus Cooper, a Baptist preacher and watch repairman.

Dr. Cooper served in the U.S. Navy during WWII on the USS Dorchester in the South Pacific. He stayed in the Navy Reserve and used the G.I. Bill to go to college and then medical school in Tennessee. Dr. Cooper interned at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, he then served in the Korean War as Deputy Medical Officer for the Destroyer Fleet Atlantic, stationed aboard its flagship, the USS Yosemite. He retired from the Navy in 1960 as Lieutenant Commander Medical Corps. Dr. Cooper stayed involved with the military throughout his life, and served as Commander of VFW Post #4692.

“Doc” started his medical practice with his brother in Bryan, TX in 1955. He was well-loved as a family doctor who would make house calls, and as a surgeon with St. Joseph’s Hospital. Besides his medical practice, Dr. Cooper was involved with NASA, and was present at many of the Apollo launches, even serving as voice commentator for TVW Ch. 7 in Perth, Australia. In 1969 he became Chief Medical Officer for Texas World Speedway. Dr. Cooper specialized in aviation medicine, serving as an FAA Senior Aviation Medical Examiner up until he retired in 2014.

Dr. Cooper is preceded in death by his wife Connie, his mother and father, his brothers O.C. and Bryan, his sisters Miriam and Louise, and his son Jim, Jr.

He leaves behind his sister, Eva Claire “Tootsie”; his children Mike, Kathie, Brown, Jeffrey, and Abbie; ten grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and an entire community of people who have been touched by the kindness and love that J.F. so freely shared.

Visitation will be held Sunday evening August 23rd 2015 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Memorial Funeral Chapel in Bryan, with funeral services on Monday morning at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Bryan.

In lieu of flowers, charitable donations can be made to Brazos County VFW Post 4692