Janice Elaine Powell Cooper

COOPER, JANICE ELAINE POWELL Janice Elaine Powell Cooper, 63, of Waco died Wednesday, October 30, 2002. Services will be held at 10:30am Saturday, November 2 at Columbus Ave. Baptist Church with Rev. Ron Durham officiating. Graveside services will be held at 3pm Saturday at Squaw Creek Cemetery in Glen Rose, Texas. Visitation with the family will be from 5-7pm Friday, November 1 at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey, 6101 Bosque Blvd. Mrs. Cooper was born October 27, 1939, in San Angelo, Texas. After graduating from Abilene High School in 1958, she attended Howard Payne College in Brownwood. There, she met and married Doyle B. Cooper of Glen Rose on August 27, 1960. The Coopers then moved to College Station so Doyle could attend the veterinary school at Texas A&M. Mrs. Cooper made Doyle’s education possible by working to support the couple. She also continued her coursework, becoming one of the first women allowed to take classes at Texas A&M. After Doyle graduated, the couple moved to San Antonio where he accepted a position with a veterinary clinic. The couple’s first child, Monte Boyd Cooper, was born in San Antonio on December 7, 1964. The Coopers soon moved to San Diego, California, to fulfill Doyle’s service in the Army. Their second child, Lance Andrew Cooper, was born on January 31, 1967, upon the family’s return to San Antonio. There the family continued their membership at the First Baptist Church. After several happy years in San Antonio, the Coopers decided it was time to establish their own business. So they moved to Garland in 1970 where they built the Orchard Hills Veterinary Hospital. This clinic was the first of four veterinary practices that Mrs. Cooper played an instrumental role in establishing. All of the Coopers’ practices reflected Jan’s welcoming touch. Mrs. Cooper and the rest of the family also became active members of Orchard Hills Baptist Church. Although they enjoyed living in Garland, Doyle and Jan decided that they wanted to raise their family in a smaller community. In 1973, they moved to Brownwood, where they had earlier lived while attending Howard Payne. There, Mrs. Cooper continued her service to the community and to the Baptist Church. She took an active role at First Baptist Church, leading several departments and developing many close friendships that she cherished for the rest of her life. She was also “mom” to two nephews-Mark Armstrong and Doyle Cooper-who lived with the Coopers for a time in Brownwood. As her boys entered high school, Mrs. Cooper decided to complete her college education. She returned to Howard Payne, taking a number of classes there and at Tarleton State University. Upon graduating with a degree in education from Tarleton, Mrs. Cooper taught the third grade at Woodland Heights Elementary School for two years. The Coopers’ years in Brownwood also gave Mrs. Cooper the opportunity to fulfill a life-long interest in clothing and fashion. In 1982, she opened a sample dress shop, the Country Cottage. She enjoyed shopping at the Dallas Apparel Mart for the clothes and accessories that filled her shop. Their sons having graduated from high school, the Coopers decided to move back to the San Antonio area. In 1988, they purchased a veterinary practice in northwest San Antonio. The Coopers also returned to First Baptist Church, San Antonio. Mrs. Cooper soon accepted the position of Director of Preschool Ministries for the church. She greatly enjoyed this because of her love of preschoolers. Also during this time, Mrs. Cooper founded and ran DBC Medical, Inc., which continues to supply specialized veterinary products, including a patented white-blood-cell-count device. In 2000, the Coopers purchased the Lake Air Animal Hospital and moved to Waco to be closer to family. Mrs. Cooper was especially pleased to live in the same city as one of her sons, Dr. Monte B. Cooper of Waco and daughter-in-law, Judy. Mrs. Cooper enjoyed watching her grandsons, Reed and Evan, grow and participate in soccer, t-ball, and football games. In addition, she took an active role in the boys’ education, helping with both boys’ reading skills and working as a volunteer in Evan’s kindergarten class at Viking Hills Elementary. She also cherished the time spent with her youngest grandchild, Erin. Mrs. Cooper was an active member of the church family at Columbus Avenue Baptist Church. Jan Cooper left a lasting positive impact on everyone she encountered. She was a woman of grace, humility, and beauty who served as a role model for her husband, her sons, and her community. Throughout her life, she considered her most important role as that of homemaker and mother. She was preceded in death by her parents, William Garland and Winnie Snider Powell. Mrs. Cooper is survived by her husband of 42 years, Dr. Doyle B. Cooper, sons and daughters-in-law, Dr. Monte B. Cooper and Judy of Waco and Lance A. Cooper and Laura of Austin, grandchildren, Reed, Evan, and Erin Cooper and sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Lee Page of San Antonio. Memorials may be made to Columbus Avenue Baptist Church Preschool Division or to your favorite charity. Memorial guestbook at www.wilkirsonhatchbailey.com. WILKIRSON-HATCH-BAILEY