Christine Baker Cooper

Christine Baker Cooper, 61, of Woodstock, passed away on Sunday, June 12 with her two daughters and husband by her side. It was on a Sunday (Oct. 30, 1949) that she was born in the city of Chester, PA.

The eldest of six children, Chris took her place as a role model and confidant to her brothers and sisters as the family moved from coast to coast, arriving in Atlanta in 1957. Here, at the age of 13, she met her best friend and husband Jerry.

The young couple married in 1967 and would celebrate their 44th anniversary this week. Together they built a life, traveling to the Caribbean, boating on Lake Lanier and relishing the everyday joys of raising a family.

After obtaining a degree from Greenleaf Business College, Chris worked her way up through the ranks of the banking industry and became an executive at some of the top financial institutions in Atlanta. During her 30-year career, she helped launch the private banking arm of C&S Bank; was a Vice President at Bank of America; led the Entrepreneur Private Banking Group at SunTrust; and, most recently, she served as Executive Vice President at Georgian Bank.

Chris gave of her time willingly to help others throughout her life, acting as president of the YWCA in the early 90s and recently as a member of the North Fulton Advisory Board for the American Cancer Society. In 2008, she was selected as one of Atlanta Woman magazine’s “Top 25 Professional Women to Watch.” It was her incredible intelligence, her calm demeanor and sincere interest in the lives of others that made her a beloved mentor, a successful leader and cherished friend.

Chris is survived by her husband; daughter Amy Mitchell (wife of Jeff, mother of Katie, Kevin and Chandler); daughter Holly Ford (wife of Michael, mother of Chloe and Maia); mother Dorothy Baker; sister Jennie Baker; sister Barbara Bratten (wife of Wayne); sister Wendy Emert; and brothers Bill and David (husband of Dianne).

A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 18 at 3 p.m. at Dunwoody United Methodist Church, 1548 Mount Vernon Road. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions in Chris’s name to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation (www.tnbcfoundation.org). Roswell Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.