Colonel Carl Cooper, USMC (Ret.)

Col. Carl Cooper, 101, peacefully ended a long, well-lived life at his Vestavia Hills home August 29, 2021. Visitation will be held Friday, September 3 from 9-11AM followed by Celebration of Life at Shades Mountain Baptist Church, 2017 Columbian Road, Vestavia Hills, Al. 35216. Full Military Honors following the services at Elmwood Cemetery, 600 Martin Luther King Dr, Birmingham, Al. 35211. He was born March 18, 1920 on one of the first peach tree farms in Clanton Al. He and the other 11 family members survived the deadly March 21st, 1932 tornado. Carl developed several traits early on that became constant in his life. He had a thirst for knowledge that took him from senior class president to Howard College (Samford) on a football scholarship where he met his wife, James Anna Rutledge from Oakman. He was majoring in Biology when Pearl Harbor was attacked and immediately enlisted in the Marine Corps. He trained for war and left California for the Battle of Guadalcanal and then on April 1, 1945, he led in the invasion of Okinawa, the bloodiest battle in the Pacific Theatre. He left Okinawa on July 4, 1945, for Guam to prepare for the invasion of Japan, which was avoided by President Truman. When he returned from WWII he completed his Bachelor’s Degree at Howard College, coached and taught at Perry County high school in Marion Al. He was called back to active duty to serve his country during the Korean War. Returning to the US, he earned his Master’s Degree from Vanderbilt’s Peabody College and taught at insert school and was principal at Carbon Hill High School. He was recruited to help organize the Mountain Brook City School System and was named the first principal of Mountain Brook JR High School. He earned his PhD in Education from the University of Alabama while at Mountain Brook. He was then called back from the Marine Reserves a third time to serve during the Vietnam War. Before he retired from the Marine Corps on April 1, 1980, he was appointed Regional Director of the Selective Service System. His work ethic carried him to a significant role as Disaster Coordinator for FEMA for another decade of service. Col Cooper was decorated with the prestigious Legion of Merit Military Award, Asiatic Pacific Medal with Star, Presidential Unit Citation and more than a dozen additional medals in recognition of his exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding military service. Col Cooper was proceeded in death by his wife, James Anna Cooper; son, James Carl Cooper; daughter, Charlotte Cooper Fant; parents, John Wiley Cooper and Mattie Hawkins Cooper; all nine of his siblings and their spouses. He is survived by his grandchildren, William S. Fant III (Dava), John C. Fant, Christopher Jason Fant (Tara) and Kaleigh (Mandy) Fant (Todd), 16 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren. Col. Cooper loved the Lord, his family, his country and the Marine Corps. On August 29, 2021 at 12:36 AM he reported for his final duty saluting his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to Shades Mountain Baptist Church or to the American Village, PO Box 6, Montevallo, Al. 35115. www.americanvillage.org

Colonel Cooper's services will be livestreamed on Elmwood Chapel's Facebook page. Go to facebook.com/ridoutselmwood and like the page. Once the service begins a notification will be sent.

Photo credit: Jeff Rease www.portraitsofhonor.US