Roger William Cooper

STAUNTON, VA Roger William Cooper, 66, husband of Mildred Cochran Cooper, of Augusta County passed away on Monday, October 19, 2015, at his home surrounded by his loving family. He was born on July 22, 1949, in Detroit, MI, a son of the late Sidney and Viola (Frey) Cooper. Roger attended Western Michigan University and graduated Summa Cum Laude prior to his commissioning as an officer in the U.S. Army. While serving, Roger met his future bride when they were stationed in Fort Sam Houston, TX in 1971. He also earned a Master's Degree in Hospital Administration from the Medical College of Virginia in 1977. Over the 43 years of their loving marriage, Roger and Mildred built a life committed to faith and family. He worked as the Chief Executive Officer of Augusta Medical Center and was integral in the establishment of Augusta Health Center. He was also the Hospital Administrator at Smyth County Community Hospital in Marion, VA where he made significant contributions to the community. In his retirement, he was a founder and active member of the Anglican Church of the Valley in Staunton, VA. A devoted husband and father, Roger's legacy lives on in his family members which include three daughters, Mildred Lynne Cooper of Silver Spring, MD, Lieutenant Melanie Cooper Carmody and husband, Lieutenant Commander Barry Franklin Carmody, Jr. of Chesapeake Beach, MD, and Catherine Lee Cooper of Richmond, VA; a son, Roger William Cooper, Jr. of San Diego, CA; and a brother and sister-in-law, Ronald and Nancy Cooper of Riverview, MI. Other family members include Joe and Inez Cochran, Doug and Karen Cochran, Ken and Eleanor Bird of Augusta County, Michael Bird of Verona, and other special nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends from 6 until 8 p.m. on Friday, October 23, 2015, at the family's residence in Augusta County. A funeral service will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, 2015, at Central United Methodist Church with the men of the Anglican Church of the Valley serving as pallbearers. Burial will follow in Thornrose Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Priest Recruiting Fund of the Anglican Church of the Valley, 536 Middlebrook Road, Staunton, VA 24401. Henry Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.