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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to
3 learn of the death of Willie David Cooper, who passed away on
4 June 19, 2009; and
 
5     WHEREAS, David Cooper was born on May 27, 1949 in
6 Birmingham, Alabama; his parents were JD and Zattie Mae Cooper;
7 he and his family moved to La Grange in 1955 and then to
8 Maywood in 1957; he attended Washington Elementary and
9 graduated from Proviso East High School in 1967; during high
10 school, he was a standout halfback on the high school football
11 team and a well respected member of the concert choir; he
12 continued his education at Triton College in River Grove, where
13 he trained as a counselor and co-founded the Black Student
14 Association and the Baha'i Club; and
 
15     WHEREAS, David Cooper provided professional services as a
16 counselor to at-risk youths throughout the State of Illinois;
17 he also dealt with the elderly and special needs clients,
18 including those with cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome,
19 deafness, quadriplegia, and autism; and
 
20     WHEREAS, David Cooper was a former member of the Second
21 Baptist Church in La Grange; in 1967, he embraced the teachings
22 of the Baha'i Faith, to which he remained dedicated for the

 

 

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1 rest of his life as a path to help bring about social justice,
2 the oneness of humanity, and the unity of religion; as a highly
3 reputed community activist and organizer, he was the founder
4 and chair of the Maywood Residents' Council, an association of
5 125 block clubs whose goal it was to work with residents to
6 improve the quality of community life; he served as a
7 Recreation Counselor for the Village of Maywood and formerly
8 served as a Counselor for the Ray Graham Association, Hart
9 Grove Hospital, Rivers Edge Hospital, and Arise, Inc.; he was
10 also one of the original members of the Maywood Alliance for
11 Better Government, a group responsible for determining the
12 viability of candidates for local elections; in the fall of
13 2004, he moved to the Madison, Wisconsin area, where he
14 remained until his passing; and
 
15     WHEREAS, David Cooper was the author of a self-published
16 volume entitled "Through the Pupil of the Eye" a collection of
17 poems which examined principles of personal responsibility,
18 the plight and injustices of the oppressed, and youth issues
19 and made a fervent appeal to approach life on its own terms;
20 his works were recorded and performed in public and private
21 venues with keyboardist and composer Joah Greengus as "The Sons
22 of Light" in consciousness-raising gatherings from 1995
23 through 2005; he also had a great talent and appreciation for
24 fine foods and dining and offered catering services during his
25 later years in Maywood; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, David Cooper was preceded in death by his
2 brothers, JD Cooper, Jr., and Danny K. Cooper; his mother,
3 Zattie Mae Cooper; and his grandmother, Tanner Wheeler; and
 
4     WHEREAS, David Cooper is survived by his brother, Leo
5 Cooper and his wife, Kathy; his aunt, Mary E. Lucas; and his
6 numerous friends and co-workers; and
 
7     WHEREAS, David Cooper will be remembered by all who knew
8 and loved him as a wonderful man, whose passion and dedication
9 for his faith, his family, his friends, his writing, and his
10 cooking were unmatched; therefore, be it
 
11     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL
12 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn, along with
13 his family and friends, the passing of Willie David Cooper; and
14 be it further
 
15     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
16 presented to the family of David Cooper as an expression of our
17 sympathy.