RALPH DARRELL COOPER, 87, of Granbury, TX, died
peacefully on Sept. 4, 2020, after a long and
courageous battle with Alzheimer's Disease.
Ralph was born on Dec. 1, 1932, the eldest son
of Guy & Rosa Lee Cooper of Ranger, TX. Having
grown up on a farm in Ranger during the Depression,
he vowed never to be a farmer. Ralph graduated
from Ranger High School in 1949 and joined the
U.S. Marine Corps in 1950, serving three years
during the Korean Conflict. Following the Marines,
he enrolled at Texas Tech University, graduating
Cum Laude with a degree in Civil Engineering in
1957 and began his career in Baton Rouge, LA with
Esso/Exxon. Beginning in 1966, the remainder of
his career was based in Houston as a project
manager for a number of engineering firms and oil
companies. He designed and managed the construction
of a wide variety of chemical and refinery units
over a 45 year period, located in North and South
America, and Europe. After his first retirement at
72, Ralph and Sue moved to China for a refinery
construction project and traveled extensively in
that country. After his second retirement, Ralph
and Sue moved to Granbury in 2009.
Ralph was a loving, compassionate and supportive son,
brother, husband and father. As a husband, Ralph was
supportive, progressive and encouraging of Sue's
career when that was not common. For a decade, he
and Sue were youth sponsors in the Methodist youth
fellowship. Ralph grew out of his natural shyness
over the years to become a gregarious and generous
friend and partner. He was quietly the rock at the
center of the Cooper family clan, always ready to
spring into action when a family member or loved
one came to him. Nothing made him smile more than
playing with his children, grandchildren, nieces
and nephews. He was an attentive and engaged parent,
and wouldn't miss ball games, band concerts, dance
recitals, soccer games and family celebrations.
Ralph drew airplanes on his first day of school at
5 years old, and has been drawing and painting ever
since. About five years before he retired, Ralph
began honing his skills, studying at the Glassell
School of Art at the MFA Houston. He created works
in oil and pastel, and had a special passion for
watercolors. Ralph and Sue traveled to the south
of France 15-20 times where he loved to visit with
friends and paint French landscapes and village
scenes. Ralph had two one-man art shows in Houston,
and was an active member of the Pecan Plantation
Art Guild.
Ralph was also a passionate golfer and was forever
swinging a golf club around the house, much to the
consternation of Sue. He also loved fly fishing as
often as he could get to a mountain stream. Ralph
and Sue enjoyed traveling extensively throughout
North America, Europe, the Caribbean, and China,
and he greatly enjoyed hosting gatherings at their
home overlooking the Brazos River. He is greatly
missed and loved, as he has loved us.
He was preceded in death by his parents and younger
sister, Sandra Cooper Laux (RHS-1960).
Ralph is survived by his loving wife of 63 years,
Iva Sue Cooper of Lubbock, TX; his son Mark Cooper
and daughter Susan Cooper, both of Houston; his
grandsons Ryan and Sean Cooper of Houston; sisters
Barbara Cooper Whatley (RHS-1955) of Temple and
Sarah Cooper Collins (RHS-1965) of Granbury, TX;
brother Fred Cooper (RHS-1958) of Venus, TX; and
many nieces and nephews and their children.