Liz Cooper

Alice Elizabeth “Liz” (Johnson) Cooper was born March 2, 1933 in Denver, Colorado to Willis Clifford and Helen (Mathies) Johnson. She and her sister, Barbara, were raised in South Denver and baptized in the Presbyterian Church, which her entire family attended faithfully. As a young girl, she was an avid reader, adored animals, and most of all, loved her dancing lessons.

Summer vacations were spent at the YMCA camp in Estes Park, which engendered a lifelong love of the mountains and outdoors. In later years she waitressed at the restaurant at the Y and had the job of helping folks debone their trout.

Liz graduated from Denver’s South High in 1951 and then enjoyed the excitement of working as a secretary for Prudential Mortgage in downtown Denver for two years. Hearing of the fun her church friends were having at Hastings College in Nebraska, she ventured out as a first generation college student. Liz was very involved in college activities and held many leadership positions. She even ran for President of the Student Association! She continued her dancing in plays, and sang in the choir. Liz graduated with a major in Education and minors in Theology and Philosophy. It was during this time she fell in love with the beautiful liturgy and became a member of the Episcopal Church.

After college Liz returned to Denver and taught second grade at Goldrick Elementary School. Her brother in law Lowell Bartlett introduced her to one of his army buddies, Stirling “Buzz” Cooper, a high school mathematics teacher with a family tourist business in Aspen. After dating for a few years they were married in 1959. Their first child, Stirling, Jr., was born a little over a year later, with sons Chris and Joel arriving 4 and 10 years later. Nothing was more important to Liz than her boys. She bestowed on her sons immeasurable love, an insistence on music classes and church attendance, and an encouragement of their intellectual and physical pursuits. She delighted in their accomplishments, their humor and their kindness to others. Beloved Chula, the cat, and Trika, the dog, completed the family circle.

Liz and her family spent the school years in Arvada where holidays were shared with Liz’s sister Barbara and her husband Lowell and their two daughters, as well her parents who still lived in South Denver. The Coopers moved up to Aspen in the summers to tend the Cooper family business, along with Liz’s in-laws Ted and Dotty and their three children. Many happy days were spent as an extended family where Liz was not only Mom, but also the much loved Aunt Alice.

During these years the family traveled as much as they could in order to know America better, as well as to visit Mexico and Europe. Liz took art classes and belonged to book clubs, volunteered at church, in the schools, and was forever broadening her knowledge of the world. As Liz herself says of those days, “It was a good life!”

After her divorce in 1984, Liz accepted a position at the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado as secretary to the Bishop. She loved her job and excelled in customer relations. She moved to Highlands Ranch, where she lived a life full of friends and adventure. She attended the theatre and concerts, traveled overseas to Israel, Sweden, Indonesia, and Yugoslavia, joined a line dancing group, explored her spirituality at church retreats, and adopted her two beloved Rex cats Jed (Jedediah) and Katie (Keturah).

As her sons graduated college and married, grandchildren began arriving to light her life. First born was Brandon in 1987, soon followed by Matthew in 1989 and Andrew in 1990. Brandon and Matthew lived in Aspen and so that town continued to be an important place for Liz. Andrew lived far away and so trips to Boston and later Germany were part of Gramma Liz’s life. In 1997 her first granddaughter arrived in the person of Laura, who loved dancing just as much as her Grandma did!

It was in Highlands Ranch that she met Mag O’Shea, a dear friend who would be an important part of her life to the end. Mag and Liz enjoyed long walks, gambling trips to Blackhawk and playing Rummy on a Sunday afternoon. Together they bought a new home in Arvada where Liz retired and attended The United Church of Christ. She eagerly joined their study and discussion groups and found a new Christian home in their roomy theology.
In August 1999 her eldest son, Stirling, tragically died in a climbing accident. The entire family was devastated, and Liz never fully recovered from her broken heart. Her theological and philosophical studies took on a new meaning and her remaining family provided comfort. The joyful grandchildren continued to arrive: Aidan Stirling in 2004 and Sarah Evelyn in 2007. Gramma Liz was as enchanted by them as she had been with all her grandbabies.

In 2009 Liz moved to Frasier Meadows Retirement Community in Boulder to be closer to her two surviving sons and their families. Although downsizing was difficult for Liz and she missed her Arvada friends, she made new friendships amongst the other residents and staff, and was known for her kindness, wit and spirit. Never one to stop learning, Liz joined multiple book groups and explored many art classes, becoming a proficient felter with her work displayed at several shows in the Denver area. She hosted family gatherings full of music and enjoyed visiting regularly with her sons. In 2015, despite severe medical problems, Liz took great joy in making the journey to California to attend the wedding of her first born grandson, Brandon, to his beloved Maggie.

Liz passed away on June 16, 2017 in Good Samaritan Hospital in Lafayette, Colorado and will be interred with her family at Fairmount Cemetery in Denver.
She is preceded in death by her parents Cliff and Helen Johnson, her sister Barbara Bartlett, and her son Stirling Cooper Jr.

Survived by sons Chris (Lisa) and Joel (Margaret), grandchildren Brandon (Maggie), Matthew, Andrew, Laura, Aidan, and Sarah, and nieces Carole (Randy), Linda (Jim), Liz (Jim) and nephews Ted (Julia) and John (Lisa).