Such a lovely eulogy, Erna. Again, I am so sorry for your loss. Wishing you peace and comforting memories.
Beatriz

Dear Erna, 

May your father's love comfort you as you honor his life and remember him. 

Sending caring condolences to you, dear friend, 

Maryanne

Dear Ben, 
I never had the chance to meet you, but you certainly have a 
smart, beautiful and simply amazing daughter. 
Kind regards, 
Her friend 6th August 2020

Eulogy for my father

23	July 2020

My father was a gentle man, in every sense of the term. “Peace, at all cost,” was his motto. It was his operating principle – whether or not he would win or lose as a result — for ‘winning’ anything, to him, would never entail any form of aggression. “The ends justify the means,” as the saying goes, was antithetical to how he was built; he just didn’t get pleasure that way. It is therefore a blessing that he never made it to Korea, though drafted in 1953, since he couldn’t hurt a fly if his life depended on it and, had he not injured his knee in training and been discharged from the Army, I would never have been born.
So, fighting and arguing weren’t his forté. But he did have a gift, and that was (as Willa Cather once said of her character in 'Neighbor Rosicky,' based on her father) "the special gift of loving people" – even people who didn’t expect or  (some might say) deserve his love, but, you see, my father loved differently than the average man. He loved people uniquely for who they were inside, not necessarily for what they tried to impress upon him. That means, he often loved or showed compassion for people nobody else loved – or who felt unloved. Some unconscious part of him – perhaps some instinct within him – felt the need to reach out and make these individuals feel ok in their own skin. It’s such a rare trait; such a necessary human quality and so badly needed in the world today. And he HAD THAT.  As space is limited, I will leave off here, but for anyone reading this, I must remind you that my father, Ben Cooper, was a deeply loved and loving human being, a compassionate soul who hated prejudice, poverty and unfairness. He will be dearly missed and forever in my heart and mind.

Thank you for reading,

Erna Cooper

Graveside Service

Oakdale Mortuary & Memorial Park

Ben Cooper

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Ben J Cooper

September 27, 1929 – July 13, 2020

Oakdale Mortuary & Memorial Park

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