Robert William Cooper II

Robert was born on October 6, 1945, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to the late Robert W. and Faye Branscum Cooper. He attended Oklahoma University and enlisted in the United States Army in 1966.

After his military discharge in 1968, Robert moved to Southern California, where he worked as a lab technician for Max Factor Cosmetics. There, he met and married Patricia Ann Oxley (née Robbins). They had one son, Robert Cooper III, and Patricia had four daughters from a previous marriage. In 1982, Max Factor transferred Robert and his family to Raleigh, North Carolina. After Revlon acquired Max Factor in 1986, Robert joined the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier and remained there until retiring in 2006.

Robert was a gifted musician who played the guitar, trumpet, violin, and piano, with a particular talent for the piano. He played whenever he was able and performed recitals for fellow residents at Independence Village of Olde Raleigh. He admired early 20th-century songwriters and composers, including George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Scott Joplin, Cole Porter, and Jerome Kern, as well as classical composers such as Frédéric Chopin. He also enjoyed classic Hollywood films and reading nonfiction. Although Robert was a man of few words, those who got to know him discovered his vast knowledge, which he readily shared.

In addition to his son, Robert W. Cooper, III, and his partner Michelle Soldano of Raleigh, NC, Robert is survived by his stepdaughters, Ann Louise Oxley of Guyton, GA, Teresa L. Walker and her husband Don of Meridian, ID, Catherine Graham and her husband, Jeff of Raleigh, NC, Gina F. Oxley of Las Vegas, NV, his sister Suzy Taylor and husband Roger of Georgetown TX, six grandchildren, Andrea, Kyle, Jimmy, Antoinette, Gray and Nathan; and six great grandchildren, Ryden, Gabby, Natalia, Phoenix, Sylvian and Gemma.

Robert was preceded in death by his wife of 35 years, Patricia; his brother, Thomas; and his granddaughter, Lida.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 2, 2026, at 11am. in the Chapel of Mitchell Funeral Home, 7209 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh. The family will receive visitors one and a half hours prior to the service beginning at 9:30 am.

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