March 29, 1940 – September 6, 2024
Lawton, OK
The funeral service for Dr. J. Mickey Cooper was 1:30 p.m., on Thursday, September 12, 2024, in Northwest Church of Christ with Troy Rogers, Minister officiating.
Burial followed in the Cache Cemetery under direction of Becker-Rabon Funeral Home.
Dr. J. Mickey Cooper, age 84, passed away on Friday, September 6, 2024, in an accident south of Cache, Oklahoma. Born on March 29, 1940, in rural Centrahoma, Oklahoma, Mickey was the son of Sonnie and Edna (Sawyers) Cooper. He spent his early years near Lula, Oklahoma, and graduated from Tupelo High School in 1958.
Mickey’s passion for education led him to pursue higher learning at East Central State University in Ada, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree. His academic journey continued at Oklahoma State University, where he attained both his Masters and Doctorate degrees in Biological Science specializing in Botany. One summer, Mickey traveled 15,000 miles in the Northwest United States collecting specimens for OSU’s new herbarium.
On August 11, 1961, Mickey married Earlene Canida, in Tupelo, Oklahoma. Together, they shared many wonderful years until her passing on February 2, 2021. Later, Mickey married Donna Richards on September 7, 2021, in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Mickey dedicated 37 years to Cameron University as a respected educator. His influence extended far beyond the classroom, touching the lives of countless students through both his teachings and the life lessons he imparted. He served as Department Chair of the Science Department, and his legacy was honored through the establishment of the Dr. Mickey Cooper Endowed Scholarship Fund in Biology. Dr. Cooper was responsible for the establishment of Cameron’s herbarium, which has grown throughout the years to include the historic plant collection from the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge and is part of the Texas-Oklahoma Regional Consortium of Herbarium. The CU herbarium continues to be a vital resource utilized by botany and biology students.
Even after retirement, Mickey was always a teacher and well-versed on many subjects. He loved sharing his knowledge and was always eager to learn new things. One of Mickey’s biggest joys was seeing his former students later in life and knowing he played a small part in their success.
Mickey was a world traveler and loved bird hunting. A lifelong dream was fulfilled when Mickey joined George and Todd Bridges on a bird-hunting trip to Paraguay in May 2023.
Throughout his entire life, Mickey loved horses, cattle, and farming cotton, wheat, and oats. He was always a farm boy at heart. Upon retirement, he continued farming, his lifelong passion.
Mickey was a committed member of the Church of Christ and attended Northwest Church of Christ. He was an integral part of the deaconship for more than thirty years at Northwest. His love for the Lord and His church was evident by the countless hours he unselfishly gave for all the years to encourage, build up, and watch out for the precious souls of the Lord’s church.
