Riley1977 Jeffery Cooper

Aug. 16, 1959 - May 21, 2016

MISHAWAKA - Jeffery answered to many names: Jeff - Twiggy - Weasy - Coop - passed away at his home with family by his side at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 21, 2016, following a year of illness. He was born at the Osteopathic Hospital in South Bend on August 16, 1959.

Jeff started school at O'Brien then went to Forest G. Hay School when the family moved to Gilmer Park. Then on to Hamilton, Jackson and Riley High School where he graduated in June 1977, spending his entire short life in South Bend-Mishawaka area.

Jeff started delivering the South Bend Tribune and mowing yards with his brother, Ron. After this, he started cleaning up in the meat department at Cira's and became a butcher where he learned to cut meat the original way. Jeff worked for thirty-six years at different stores, Cira's, Carl's Martin's, Kroger, and the last eighteen years at Meijer's in Goshen.

Jeff was an avid bowler and golfer. He enjoyed the Cubbies, Notre Dame and Radio sports and Fox News. When he was younger, his brother Ron and Jeff loved to fish; he loved NASCAR and enjoyed his many friends at Jovi's. Jeff and his sister used to go to races at South Bend, Plymouth and New Paris.

Jeffery is survived by his mother, Kathryn (Schmicker) Cooper; sister, Deborah Cooper (Tim) Reiter; brother, Ronald (Kristin) Cooper; cat, Lois Lane; and many, many friends and relatives. He was preceded in death by his father, Henry C. Cooper, on March 1, 2012, and baby sister, Jaclynn Kay, on October 2, 1963.

The family would like to thank Southern Care Hospice and the 4th floor nurses at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Mishawaka.

Funeral services will be held at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 28, 2016, at the Palmer Funeral Home-Guisinger Chapel, 3718 S. Michigan St., South Bend, IN. Friends may visit with the family from 9:30-12:30 p.m. Saturday prior to the services.