Sam-
I am so sorry for your loss. Ruth was such a wonderful person. My sincerest condolences to you and your family.
As always, Pearl

Our love and prayers are with you, Sam, and your family.  We enjoyed our friendship as neighbors in Tucson.  Ruth was a special person - always enjoyed spending time talking with her.  Your loving care of her in later life was a testament to your love for her.


Bob and MG

Ruth Cooper was an inspiration to her students. I was fortunate to be one of them. She encouraged and recommended me to the University of Delaware's Masters in Economic Education program. She taught, inspired, and believed in changing and improving lives through education and certainly did that for so many of us. I am so thankful for her kindness, vision, and guidance. She lives through her influence on those she taught and mentored.

I was saddened to hear about Ruth's passing and I express my sincere sympathy to  your family.  Ruth made a difference in my life, as she did in the lives of many that she worked with.  From the beginning of my career at Sunnyside High School, taking classes at the University of Arizona with the Arizona Council for Economics Education and working with Ruth at the Thomas R. Brown Foundation, she was an inspiration, and a mentor.  I will forever be thankful for her guidance and wisdom and the role she had in promoting economics education.  

So sad to hear the news of Ruth's passing. I met Ruth while taking my first, of many, economics classes in Don Wells class at the University of Arizona in conjunction with the Arizona Council of Economic Education. I can't tell you how many times I came to her house after football practice to pick up the Councils copy of "People on Market Street" movie series. In every case Ruth was kind and accommodating to this budding economist offering advise and insight that got me through time in and time out. As time went on and our paths went in different dirrections we occasionally would see each other at different functions. Every time Ruth would greet me with her broad smile and gentle voice. She helped me to become a better teacher and a better person just by knowing her. May you rest in peace. 

We at the Thomas R. Brown Foundation offer our sincere condolences to the Cooper family and want to convey our gratitude for the time and talent that Ruth brought to economics education.  Ruth Cooper’s involvement in economics education began in the 1970s, when she joined forces with Gerry Swanson and Don Wells to bring professional development programs in economics to teachers in southern Arizona. The rest is history. First through the Arizona Council for Economics Education in the 1970s, and later through the Thomas R. Brown Foundation from 2004 – 2011, Ruth developed high quality programs taught by the best instructors in the nation and delivered them to Arizona teachers. Her role in developing the strong reputation of the Thomas R. Brown Foundation cannot be understated. Ruth sought out interesting program topics, discovered and developed talented teacher leaders, and set the standard for high quality programs. Ruth Cooper’s foresight gave us the UA summer institute, Reffonomics and Economics University, the VOTE program, AP Institute workshops, and so many other programs for teachers. Tucson now enjoys a strong reputation in economics education, both in Arizona and across the country, and we owe much of that to the hard work and vision of Ruth Cooper. Even more important than her significant contribution to economics education were Ruth’s warmth, kindness and devotion to her family.  We will miss her, and we are honored to have known and worked with her. 

I have fond memories of working with Ruth in Arizona.  She was a mentor, a colleague and a friend.  She was a key part of my professional growth.  Ruth was a pioneer in economic education in Arizona.  She will be warmly remembered and greatly missed!

OBITUARY

Ruth G. Cooper

June 7, 1946 – September 14, 2018

Eternal Hills Mortuary & Crematory at Eternal Hills Memorial Park

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