Carolyn Sue Cooper

Carolyn Sue Cooper lived a full life on two continents and made many friends on both. Carolyn was born on July 17, 1949, in Kansas City, Missouri to Lois Ann Gay Cooper and Albert David Cooper, and grew up there. She graduated in 1967, from Southeast High School in Kansas City. Carolyn passed away peacefully on February 4, 2023, in Urbana, Illinois. She is survived by cousins Jane Blume of Bellingham, WA, Ronald Talbot of Oakland, CA, and Philip Whitely of Kansas City.

After receiving Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, Carolyn completed a doctorate in Special Education at the University of Kansas at Lawrence. She spent 20 years as a professor at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois, where she taught, managed, and successfully wrote federal grants to support programs in early childhood special education.

In 1996, Carolyn became interested in Russia, and began to study the language, while continue to teach. In 2002, she completed a second masters in Russian and East European Studies at the University of Illinois. Soon after, she retired from EIU, moved to Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, and began a new stage of her life, spending half a year each year for over 15 years in St. Petersburg, Russia. She became fluent in Russian and had a second successful career working in several universities, where she taught English and research studies. She was especially proud of completing a certificate as a Russian translator, qualified to translate from English to Russian as well as Russian to English. Also in Russia, she began to study the flute, her first foray into learning a musical instrument.

When the pandemic curtailed her time in Russia, Carolyn continued with her flute studies at home in Illinois, and also added piano, both of which she was able to keep going via the internet during the pandemic. She was an avid member of the swim team at the YMCA, and loved participating in swim meets. These activities ended only when she developed lung cancer and her time and energy turned toward trying to overcome it. Carolyn was kind and generous. She was quick to make friends and diligent in nurturing her friendships, and left many Kansas, Illinois, and St. Petersburg friends behind to mourn her death and miss her company.

Carolyn will be buried beside her mother at Mt. Moriah Funeral Home & Cemetery, Kansas City, MO, where condolences may be given. Contributions may be made to Children's International in Kansas City, MO, which Carolyn generously supported, or a charity of the donor's choice.

Her memory will be celebrated by gatherings of friends in Urbana-Champaign, in Kansas City and in St. Petersburg. A graveside service for Carolyn will be held Wednesday, February 15, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Mount Moriah Cemetery South, 10507 Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO 64131.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mtmoriah.net for the Cooper family.