Joseph Randolph "Randy" Cooper passed away peacefully at home early Sunday morning, October 31, 2010. Randy was born on February 12, 1927, in a white frame house on the banks of the Little River in Pulaski County in southwest Virginia. The eighth of nine children and a 1945 graduate of Radford High School, Randy was a World War II Veteran and served in the United States Naval Air Corps as an air crewman. He graduated from Milligan College in Johnson City, Tennessee in 1952, where he was the illustrator for the college newsletter and yearbook. Randy is survived by his college sweetheart, Sally Bellamy, whom he married on August 23, 1952. He is also survived by his three children, Pamela Cooper Alexander, Julia Cooper (Dennis) McDermott and Barton Elliott (Stephanie) Cooper, and seven grandchildren: Keegan Joseph McDermott, Brian James McDermott, John Dennis ("Jack") McDermott, Annette Julia McDermott, Kelly Prentice Cooper, Quinn Barry Cooper, and Rory Bellamy Cooper. Randy was a devoted and loving husband, father and grandfather and an enthusiastic member of the Senior Golfers Association of Atlanta. His athletic ability was only exceeded by his exceptional artistic talent. Over his lifetime, he created numerous paintings and drawings, taking inspiration from his life and family. In September 2009, the Glencoe Museum in his hometown of Radford, Virginia, honored him with a retrospective exhibit of his work, which can be seen on his website, www. randycooperartworks.com. His family welcomes you to join them for visitation to be held at H.M. Patterson & Son, Oglethorpe Hill Chapel, 4550 Peachtree Road NE from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, with a reception to follow at Randy and Sally's home. Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, November 3, 2010, at 11 a.m. at Peachtree Christian Church, 1580 Peachtree St. NW at Spring St. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Peachtree Christian Church Stewardship Fund or Milligan College may be made.


Published in Roanoke Times on November 2, 2010