Emma Alta (Boyett) Cooper

Emma Alta Boyett-Cooper of Lewisville, Texas, passed away on May 1st, 2024. She will always be remembered as a loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, and colleague to all that knew and loved her.

Born March 26, 1930, in Silsbee, Texas, she graduated from Burkeville High School in 1949 and went on to work for American Oil Company in Texas City where she was a member of the Desk and Derrick Club. She married William Gary Cooper in December of 1952, reared two daughters, Diana and Katherine, and enjoyed 51 years of marriage until Gary’s passing in September of 2003.

After their move to Dickinson from Texas City, in June of 1959, she worked with her husband and other couples to found Pine Drive Baptist Church. And, after the birth of her two daughters, building a Christian home in partnership with her husband, and being an accomplished stay-at-home mom, in 1973 she began her career at Dickinson Independent School District as a Secretary to several Principals until retirement in 1995. This was to confirm her two daughters earned their Baccalaureate Degrees from Baylor University and Texas A&M University respectively. She and Gary moved to Lewisville in 2001 and became active members of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano. Also, she, Diana, Katherine and Adrianna joined the Shirley McGuire Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2020. Throughout her life, she enjoyed designing and sewing clothes for herself, daughters and grandchildren and decorating residential home interiors. One of her greatest joys was living only two blocks from both grandchildren, so she could see them often, and attend their celebrations and sporting events.

She is survived by her daughters, Diana Cooper and Katherine Cooper-Griffith; her son-in-law Rockford Griffith; her grandchildren, Adrianna and Cooper Griffith, and her sister Wanda Boyett-Wood. She was preceded in death by her husband, William Gary Cooper and her son William Gary Cooper, Jr.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in her name to Samaritan’s Purse International Relief: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/donate-online/