Graveside services for Robert “Robin” Douglas Cooper, 73, of Glen Allan will be at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, August 16, 2020 at Greenfield Cemetery. He passed away on Thursday, August 13, 2020 at Bolivar Medical Center in Cleveland. Arrangements are under the direction of Boone Funeral Home, Greenville.
Robert “Robin” Douglas Cooper was born in Winona, Mississippi on October 4th, 1946. He is the youngest child of the late Howard and Mildred “Jerri” Cooper. His siblings Walter “Okey” Cooper, Joann Watson, and John Cooper preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife Judy Cooper, his three daughters, Kerri Moss, Christie (Robert) Loper, Jerri Beth (Brad) Heigle, his grandchildren, Steven and Ally Moss, Julianne and Lanier Loper, John Haydon Cooper and Lillie Beth Heigle, his sister, Marilyn (Don) Dunaway, his sister-in-law, Mary Elizabeth Cooper, and many nieces and nephews.
Robin was raised in Glen Allan, Mississippi, on Lake Washington. He was deeply rooted in the Lake Washington community, where he was a well-known, avid outdoorsman. He often fished, hunted and trapped to provide for his wife and three girls. From their birth, he ensured his love of outdoors and nature was taught to his daughters. He was never afraid to get dirty, and hard work never bothered him.
As a veteran of the United States Navy during the Vietnam War, Robin served on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Bennington. His Navy team had the honor of retrieving the Apollo IV capsule after it had landed in the ocean. An early example of his generosity was when on an offshore visit, Robin bought three cases of china for his mother, his sister, and his sister-in-law, all of whom had never owned a complete set of china before.
Robin’s generous heart and kind soul reached every person he knew. He had a few philosophies that he lived by that impacted his community immensely. A longtime family friend described Robin perfectly by the phrase “I’m casting the bread unto the waters.” This comes from Ecclesiastes 11:1, “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” Definition: To do something kind or good without expecting anything in return. Robin was the perfect example of this. However, he had his own version of this principle. He was well known for doing good deeds without expecting anything in return, but he would never tell anyone what he did. He believed that if he talked or boasted about his good deeds, it cancelled the deed. This was based on Matthew 6:3, “But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” Robin’s older brother, John, led him to this way of life as they were growing up. Even after John’s passing, Robin kept his memory alive through this tradition.
When Robin’s father died in 1961, his mother went to Mississippi State to renew her teaching license. John took Robin at age 15 onto the tow boat with special permission from Bilbo Williamson of Greenville Towing Company. This began a lifelong love affair with the Mississippi River which never ended. Until his passing, Robin’s business was associated with river work. Robin attended Mississippi Delta Community College, and graduated from Delta State University, with a major in education. He taught school for a number of years, and drove a school bus, before going to work on the river.
Robin’s love of history was apparent as he could tell anyone who was interested about the history of the plantations in Washington County. He could often be found reading about history, yet he read from many genres. He passed down his love of reading and knowledge to his children and grandchildren.
Robin’s life can be found in the hundreds of Facebook comments from people who knew and loved him. For each of you who have left us with memories, we thank you.
In lieu of flowers, we ask that you donate to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.