Major General Gary Cooper’s wife reflects on 33 years of marriage
MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — The inspirational Mobile native and Marine Corps Veteran Major General Gary Cooper passed away on Saturday.
“Gary was ready to a certain extent,” Beverly Cooper, Gary’s wife of 33 years, said.
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The Major General leaves behind an inspirational history. Growing up in Mobile during the Jim Crow era, Cooper faced racial challenges head-on ranging from school segregation to only being allowed to walk on one side of the street.
A life that he never wanted his future children to face.
“One of the phrases he used to talk about was, ‘I left Mobile on the back of a segregated train,'” Beverly said.
Cooper left Mobile and attended the University of Notre Dame. After graduation, he joined the Marine Corps. He was the first African American Marine Corps Officer to lead an infantry company into combat in Vietnam.
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Cooper earned two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. He rose through the ranks and was eventually promoted to Major General.
“He had a general responsibility and knew what that responsibility was all about, and he wanted to see Black people succeed,” Beverly said.
When Cooper returned to Mobile, he helped co-found Commonwealth National Bank in Toulminville.
“He comes back to Mobile, and he goes to the bank downtown, and they wouldn’t even let him use the bathroom because there was no bathroom for blacks,” Commonwealth National Bank President and CEO Sidney King said. “So he wanted to start a bank where he could use the bathroom.”
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Cooper is described to be a passionate leader and a hardworking man. He was also a loving husband.
“I came along after he had done a lot of really wonderful things in his life,” Beverly said.
Cooper married his second wife, Beverly, in 1991.
Before meeting Beverly, Cooper had realized he needed a lady with a full closet by his side as he was a man who always had a dinner, gala or other event to attend.
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“The way my friend tells me is that he called her and says, ‘I need to know if you know a lady with a bunch of dresses,’ and she says, ‘I think I do know a lady with a bunch of dresses,'” Beverly said.
The Major General and Beverly then embarked on their journey together as he served as the Assistant Secretary for the Air Force under President George H.W. Bush and as he served as ambassador to Jamaica.
The two were married for a wonderful 33 years.
“The thing that is important right now is that we do everything right in terms of his celebration,” Beverly said.
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