Coach Ted Cooper, age 86, of Panama City, passed away Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012 at his home.
Ted was born in Robertsdale, and graduated from Robertsdale High School in 1944. He joined the Merchant Marines and served in WWII for the United States Army. While he was in the Army, he played football for the First Constabulary Brigade. In 1945, he married Betty Jean Evans, and soon after, he graduated from Livingston State College, where he also played football. Ted coached a number of different sports teams at Carrabelle High School, Blountstown High School and Rutherford High School in Panama City. While under his leadership, Blountstown won the Apalachicola Valley Conference championship twice, and Ted received the designation of Conference Coach of the Year numerous times. After receiving his Master’s Degree from Mississippi College in 1970, he became Principal for Southport Elementary School in the fall of 1970, until his retirement in 1988. In 1992, Ted became the first inductee into the Robertsdale Sports Hall of Fame. In 2010, the Blountstown stadium was designated as “The Ted Cooper Stadium.” Also among his long list of accomplishments was his instrumental role in founding the Bay County Reading Association. The Ted Cooper Award is given at the Bay County Reading Conference each year. Ted was a member of Forest Park Methodist Church for 51 years, a member of the Men’s Breakfast Club, and Christian Home Builders Sunday School. Throughout Ted’s life, through coaching and teaching, he touched approximately 10,000 lives. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ted and Ada Cooper; brother Quentin Cooper; grandson, Mick Brock; and granddaughter Elizabeth Cooper. Ted is survived by his loving wife of 67 years, Betty Cooper; three children, Sheila Cooper Brock, Donna Christian (Sonny), and Derek Cooper (Paige); two sisters, Velma Trawick and Sylvia Bell; seven grandchildren, Trey Brock (Christy), Ryan Brock (Dixon), April Lord, Tina Curti (Robert), Celina Cullen (Kenny), Mathieu Cooper (Stephanie) and Rachael Cooper; 13 great-grandchildren, Mary, Emma, Michael, Cooper, Tyler, Sunny, Brody, Braxton, Trent, Garrett, Hannah, Dani and Adysen. A funeral services with military honors will take place Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012 at Forest Park United Methodist Church in Panama City. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Ted Cooper's name to Forest Park United Methodist Church, The Salvation Army, or Covenant Hospice. Kent Forest Lawn Funeral Home is handling arrangements. “The best is yet to be; The last of life, for which the first was made.” Kent Forest Lawn Funeral Home. www.KentForestLawn.com.
