Max Cooley

Max Gordon Cooley, age 91, of Dublin, Ohio, formally of Coshocton, passed away on Thursday, October 20, 2014. He was born in Coshocton, Ohio, on September 10, 1923, to the late Carl and Grace (Angle) Cooley.

Max was a veteran of the United States Army. In WWII, he was a Staff Sergeant in the European Theater, 3rd Army, 71st Division, and 66th Infantry Regiment, where he carried a mortar gun across Germany. After being honorably discharged in 1946, Max worked for the Ohio Power Company at the Canton General Office for 38 years before retiring in 1988, as a Supervisor of the Right of Way Department.

In 1946, Max married Miriam (Reese) Cooley who passed away after 41 years of marriage in 1987. Max never set idle. While raising his family over the years, they were provided amazing yearly family vacations encompassing all 50 states and all of the Canadian Provinces. Later he enjoyed Europe and a few cruises. He was a consummate outdoorsman who loved to fish and work around his farm on his beloved Massey Ferguson and could fix and build just about anything. He was extraordinarily skilled (self-taught) in woodworking and created many memorable pieces the family will cherish for years to come. Max was no stranger to the dance floor and loved playing cards and watching the Cleveland Indians.

Max was an orator skilled in telling jokes and stories. Furthermore, the ability to communicate from his years of caring and listening to others in his work made him a master at dealing with people. Even at the end of his life when the battle of life waned, he was able to touch the many lives of those who worked with him. He lived a long and fruitful life and with that came wonderful advice to all of those around him.

Max is survived by his daughter, Denise Cooley; grandchildren, Bill (Sue) Ballerini, Christopher Cooley, Kari (Joe) Friedman, Danielle (Bob) Moore, and Alyson (Marcus) Ruggiero; and great-grandchildren, Liam, Marlo, and Asher. Sometimes in life we meet people too late in life; but, each have a profound effect on the other. As such is the case with Edie Steele and Marcos McCoy.

Along with his parents and wife, Max is preceded in death by his son, Bruce Gordon Cooley.

A graveside service with military honors will be held on Saturday, November 15, 2014, at 10:30 am at Fairfield Cemetery in West Lafayette, Ohio, officiated by long-time family friend Pastor Max K. McCullough. A Celebration of Life Open House for Max will be held from 3-5:00 pm on the same day, at Roscoe United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 475 High Street, Coshocton, Ohio. The family would love for you to bring a note sharing a fond memory you have with Max. These will be kept in an album as memories of our loved ones help to fill the void in our heart.

In honor of Max’s value of living life to its fullest, we request that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to Katie B Hines Senior Center, 308 Cape Fear Blvd., Carolina Beach, NC 28428. This is where he would spend his winters and where his later years were filled with so much joy and laughter. Your donations will help to ensure that the lives of those continue to prosper and be enjoyed to their fullest.