Craig “Cooper” passed away peacefully on April 7, 2016. His wife, Donna; brother, Curtis; and sister, Nancy, were at his side. Cooper was raised in Tarrytown, New York, and was a 1966 graduate of Sleepy Hollow High School. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was a proud Vietnam veteran. Several years after leaving the service, Cooper found himself in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. It was there that he met the love of his life, Donna Lou Carpenter. They both enjoyed the sun, fun and crazy times of beach life in its heyday! In 1979, they decided to head north and relocated to Vermont. They settled in the Mad River Valley. Their 1986 wedding at Mad River Glen was quite the social event that is still happily remembered to this day. Two years ago, they retired and returned to Florida.
Cooper was a great bartender, first working at The Blue Tooth and eventually landing at The Den. He worked there for about 25 years and was a favorite of many locals and visitors alike. His friendly personality, easygoing nature and wonderful sense of humor made his bar a great place to be. Cooper enjoyed many things in life. He was a huge New York Giants fan and stayed true to his New York Mets. He loved a good round of golf, day of fishing and cross-country skiing. His alter ego, “Sven da Mune,” would happily glide over the many trails on a nice winter day.
He enjoyed travel and was always up for a good adventure. He was an animal lover and he and Donna have always had a dog or two in the household. A good movie, book, crossword puzzle, Jeopardy and a good long nap were things he enjoyed as well.
A very social guy, Cooper loved going to many local restaurants and bars, often to visit friends who were at work. His humor was legendary; he was kind and he had a great outlook on life in general. He brightened the lives of everyone who knew him and will be missed by all. He certainly was one of a kind.
Cooper leaves behind his beloved wife, Donna of Tamarac, Florida. He also leaves his brother, Curtis Cooper of Tamarac, Florida; his sister, Nancy Cooper of Green Bay, Wisconsin; his nephew, Marko Obrovac and wife Allison of Andover, Minnesota; his sister-in-law, Ronna Carpenter of Tamarac, Florida; and his dog, Buster. He was predeceased by his parents, Curtis and Lorraine Cooper; and his in-laws, Donald and Doris Carpenter.
In addition to family, Cooper leaves behind many, many friends who will miss him dearly.
