John Wallis Cooper

The life voyage of John Wallis Cooper is complete. John died peacefully at his San Antonio home on October 30, 2015 at age 86. He traveled the far reaches of the World; undertook journeys in science, engineering, and invention; and came to know Love through marriage, fatherhood, and his quest towards God.

On June 4, 1966, John married Dorothy Morse in New Britain, Connecticut and together they began their great voyage of 49 years. In Cape Cod, they were joined by sons Ronald and Russell. Together they traveled to Puerto Rico, New Jersey, and Corpus Christi before settling in San Antonio in 1978. John was immensely thankful to enjoy the blessings of companionship and marriage with Dorothy and friendship and fatherhood with his children.

John was the son of Ruth McMullin Cooper and Vice Admiral George Randolph Cooper. He was the brother of Virginia Cooper Davis, the late George Cooper Jr., and the late Ruth Cooper Demarest. He was the paternal grandson of Estella Allen Cooper and Judge George Reed Cooper and the maternal grandson of John McMullin, Ida Wallis McMullin Shimp, and John "Daddy" Shimp. He was also the descendant of Virginians Robert Allen and Apollos Cooper, both members of the Continental Army.

On June 10, 1929, John was born in New York City. As a naval officer's son, his family was stationed in the Philippines and China from 1934 to 1937. He began his education at Cheefoo's China Inland Mission School and attended 13 schools before graduating high school in 1948. He later studied at L'Alliance Francais in Paris.

John enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1950 and was an electronics technician aboard the tanker U.S.S. Salamonie. Over four years, he and "Old Sal" made voyages to the Caribbean, the North Atlantic, Europe, and the Mediterranean. Later, he was commissioned Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

In 1965, John graduated from William & Mary. He continued postgraduate studies in physics at Georgetown and physical oceanography at Texas A&M. In 1961, he conducted research for the University of Washington while stationed on "ARLIS II", an ice island located in the Arctic Ocean.

John joined the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 1963 as a Research Associate and participated in scientific cruises in the North Atlantic, Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Indian Oceans. In 1965, he circumnavigated the globe aboard the R/V Atlantis II and visited Australia, Hong Kong, and Japan. Among many accomplishments, he investigated the vertical micro-structure of the deep ocean and co-developed temperature-salinity profiling instrumentation.

In 1975, John joined Southwest Research Institute and managed their Ocean Science and Engineering Laboratory in Corpus Christi. He was Chief Scientist of the Louisiana Platform Study comprising four oceanographic cruises to document the environmental impact of offshore oil production. After relocating to San Antonio in 1978, he participated in numerous geophysical and thermodynamics projects and was awarded device patents for the detection of fluid leaks in geomembranes. Prior to retiring in 1994, John reported on the Institute's research activities to the public and acted as a coordinator for the Institute's agent in Japan, Mitsui & Co.

John was active in the International Human Powered Vehicle Association and was a member of the board from 1999 to 2004. He was an official and assistant timer at Battle Mountain, Nevada in 2002 when the streamlined bicycle Varna Diablo broke the 80 mph barrier.

John's spiritual journey burgeoned in 1959 with baptism and confirmation into the Episcopal Church. In 1985, John and his family joined Christ Episcopal Church in San Antonio where he enjoyed spiritual communion and great fellowship, particularly with his weekly men's bible study. His faith was enriched by Dorothy's and his shared love of art, music, and travel. In retirement, John and Dorothy wandered the Pacific Northwest, Canada, and Alaska in their pickup truck and later voyaged to Spain by air and to England by sea. His fondest memories, however, were of listening to her play the piano while relaxing at home.

John is survived by his wife, Dorothy; sons, Ronald and Russell; sister, Virginia Davis; cousins, Ford and William Cooper, and numerous nephews and nieces.

CELEBRATION OF LIFE

MONDAY

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

11:00 A.M.

CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH

510 BELKNAP PLACE

SAN ANTONIO, TX 78212

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John's honor to the American Heart Association or the Alzheimer's Association.