Thomas G. Cooper

DEACON THOMAS GIDEON COOPER was born in Boneyville, Kentucky on May 19, 1932, the son of the late Eliza Roberta Cooper Loveless Owsley and AJ Cooper.
Deacon Cooper was a high school graduate of Lincoln High School in Stanford, Kentucky. After graduating he went on to serve in the United States Army where he was honorably discharged. On February 25, 1955 he was united in holy matrimony to Mother Ruth Jean Cooper. They had two children, Pat Sowell (nee Cooper) and later Thomas Cooper-Greene, Jr. They shared many happy and prosperous years together in Cincinnati, Ohio and later moved to Hamilton to be closer to their immediate and church families. Anyone who knew Deacon Cooper knew of his love and pride of his wife, kids, grandsons, extended family – including the Sowells and his congregation, because they were his most important relationships. His life revolved around these devout commitments. He was a fine example of faithfulness as a husband, father, friend and deacon.
Professionally he retired after 30 years of service as the School Custodian at Pleasant Hill Elementary School in North College Hill, where he not just kept the school in excellent condition, but often was called upon by the teachers to talk with troubled youth. At church the youth were important to him as well. For more years than his family can recall he gathered and prepared vacation Bible school kits and supplies for the sessions, often creating a big mess in their dining room! Over the years at some point he taught every level of Sunday School class that was held. For many years while serving at Temple of Hope COGIC he led a very active YPWW department (Young People Willing Workers), when many churches had long stopped holding them. Summer highlights were going to local and state conventions. The many hours he spent studying his lessons each week often sparked healthy debate in class making the Bible come to life for everyone.
Remarkably for many, many years as a deacon he stepped up and served in a shepherd’s role to keep Temple of Hope going when in between it’s many pastors. He and his family arrived to church often early to sweep the church and ready it for service. He carried on with faithful members like the Payne family and Mother Chisholm, because it was simply the right thing to do. More times than not he dug deep into his own pockets making sacrifices that were unheard of for a lay member of humble means to simply keep the doors open. Later in life he came into a greater rest spiritually and joined with the congregation of True Victory COGIC in Middletown where he, his wife and son thrived happily for many years until the Lord led them to Hamilton, Ohio. For several years they fellowshipped with other churches before finding their home at Community Friendship COGIC where he was a faithful member until God called him home.
However, what will be missed most about him was his sense of humor. He always had a funny quip to make to lighten the mood! Not to mention long before the DIY craze hit the nation, he was a jack of all trades. He would putter around in his garage and would come up with just the right tool or oddity to create something needful. Antiques Roadshow would have had a field day in his garage, not to mention his basement! Did you know he even has sewn clothing from patterns? Further, to say Deacon Cooper had a green thumb would be an understatement! That man could take a few packets of inexpensive seeds and grow an entire garden. He and Mother Cooper won sev- eral beautification awards for their front yard blooms. His rose bushes always made you slow down to admire and smell them. Probably the only thing Deacon Cooper did better at home than gardening was eating all of the many dishes and baked goods Mother Cooper prepared from scratch daily. All Deacon Cooper had to say was “I have a taste for ….”, and she would whip it up no matter how late. While the Sunday School classes will miss his commen- tary, and the garden will never be quite the same again without his touch, and his passion for good food has finally been sated, we who knew him best can say we were blessed to have known him and then we will smile and chuckle, because the memories will come alive every time we retell them. On Friday, December 26, 2014, Deacon Cooper went home to be with his Heavenly Father. His parents and brother, Joshua Cooper, preceded him in death.
He leaves to cherish his memory his wife Ruth Jean (nee Nelson); his children Patricia Sowell and Thomas, Jr.; his son-in-law Rick Sowell; his two grandsons Ricky and Nicholas; the extended Sutton, Sowell and Huffman families whom he came to consider his own family; his brothers and sisters in laws; and, a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.