Peter L. Cooper

Peter Lawrence Cooper passed away on Saturday, January 4th, nine months after being diagnosed with salivary gland cancer.

Peter was born on a chicken farm in Middletown, New York. He grew up in a musical, lively Jewish environment, surrounded by family, including his late parents, Florence and Paul, three siblings, Judy, Robert, and Isaiah, and many cousins. Peter proudly shared his name with the famed tinkerer and philanthropist who lent his name to the Cooper Union college. He loved math and science from an early age, and was a largely self-taught polymath. These aptitudes led to his career as a computer programmer, working for non-profits in New York as well as the City of New York. Peter’s legacy extends beyond his job. He loved music; he frequently attended performances from the Metropolitan Opera, to Broadway musicals, to local concerts. He sang enthusiastically with several choirs as well as at services at the Forest Hills Jewish Center, which he attended regularly with his family.

Peter was a debater; he had strong beliefs and opinions about a range of issues and would gladly engage anyone in a lively discussion. Peter’s proclivity for extended discussion was complemented and tempered for 38 years by his wife Barbara’s penchant for quieter dialogue.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic Peter and Barbara moved from Queens to Manhattan to care for Barbara’s 101-year-old father. Peter bonded with his centenarian father-in-law over their shared love of opera, history, including Robert Caro biographies, and Jeopardy.

We would like to extend our deep appreciation to all our friends and family for the visits, phone calls, and texts, especially throughout the last year. Peter’s greatest joy was talking with those he loved, and a phone call from a friend or family member would always raise his spirits. We also offer our gratitude to the care teams at Memorial Sloan Kettering, Mary Manning Walsh, and Calvary Hospital, who supported Peter and his family with kindness and compassion over the last year. An extra special thank you to Angel Warriors – Alvin, Annabelle, Arlene, Hubert, JoJo, Mario, Mila, and Sunshine.

Peter is survived by his wife Barbara, his son Tom, daughter-in-law Chagit, daughter Rebecca, future son-in-law Dan, his two grandchildren, Noam and Eliza, and his three siblings Judy, Robert, and Isaiah.

The family requests donations in lieu of flowers. You can send donations in Peter’s honor to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Calvary Hospital, or Bikur Cholim of Queens.

A chapel service for Peter will be held Tuesday, January 7, 2025 from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM at Schwartz Brothers-Jeffer Memorial Chapels, 114-03 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Following the chapel service will be a committal service from 2:45 PM to 3:45 PM at Mount Hebron Cemetery, 130-04 Horace Harding Expy, New York, NY 11367.