Our Classmates

Larry Cooper

 
Larry's senior candid photo.
 
Our dear classmate Larry Cooper, who was in our class since kindergarten, passed away on Jan. 19, 1979 from a ruptured esophagus, according to his mother, Mrs. Betty Cooper. 
 
Very active in extracurricular activities, Larry worked on our yearbook, Aegis, during his senior year; was in the chorus, French Club and the Spartanum Spectaculum variety show as a freshman and sophomore; on the soccer team during his sophomore, junior and senior years; and on the track team all four years. He also achieved the honor of becoming an Eagle Scout, the Boy Scouts of America's highest rank.
 
Here are excerpts from the newspaper article concerning Larry's passing, which appeared in the Keene Sentinel newspaper, Keene, NH: 

Lawrence S. Cooper, 26, of Temple died Monday evening, Jan. 15, 1979 at Monadnock Community Hospital in Peterborough after a brief illness.  

He was born Nov. 28, 1952, in Springfield Mass., son of Heywood M. and Elizabeth (Southwick) Cooper, and had lived in Peterborough before moving to Temple last July. 

Mr. Cooper had been employed as supervisor of general accounting for National Grange Mutual Insurance Co. in Keene for the past two and one-half years. He graduated magna cum laude from Plymouth State College in 1974 with a degree in business administration, and received a master's degree in finance in 1975 from the University of Massachusetts. 

He was a member of the East Longmeadow (Mass.) Congregational Church and Brownstone Chapter, Order of DeMolay, in East Longmeadow, from which he had received the Chevalier degree. 

Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Cynthia (Hart) Cooper of Temple, whom he married in September 1976; his parents, of East Longmeadow, Mass.; one sister, Mrs. Catherine Tracy of Glastonbury, Conn.; one brother, Jeffrey Cooper of East Longmeadow, Mass. and Alexandria, Egypt; his paternal grandmother, Mrs. Edwin Cooper of East Longmeadow; his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Norman Southwick of North Amherst, Mass.; and one nephew, Douglas Tracy. 

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made in Mr. Cooper's memory to the Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children in Springfield, Mass. 

Note: Larry's mother, Mrs. Betty Cooper has joined our site as a guest member. Please feel free to contact her by clicking on the Classmate Profiles page, scrolling down to Guest Members, and clicking on her name.
 

Larry's kindergarten class photo, May 1958. The Community Co-operative Kindergarten met at the Congregational Church. Front row: unknown boy, David Sand, Lynne Kinney, Bruce Cohen?, Tom Ouellette, Jane Passburg, Ellen Bonneville, unknown boy, Thomas Murray. Row 2: Nancy Bryson, unknown boy, Susan Waterman, Andrea Burger, Andy Farquharson, Nancy Burritt, Susan White, Doug Milroy, Nancy Birtwell, Janet Gorrod?, Mrs. Margaret Tull. Row 3: John Haetinger, Nancy Blaisdell, Larry Cooper, unknown girl, Larry Bradley, Paula Seligman, unknown girl, Ralph Nooney, Alison Cox, unknown girl, Dale Goddard. Photo courtesy of Mary Darling Studio.  

Kids at Camp Wilder, Parker St., Springfield MA in 1964, between sixth and seventh grades. Front row: unknown, unknown, Chris Bartley. Row 2: all unknown. Row 3: unknown, unknown, unknown, Paul Anderson (Larry Cooper's next door neighbor, about 2 years older than us), unknown, unknown, Larry Cooper, Russ Snow (counselor). Photo courtesy of Mrs. Betty Cooper.

Homeroom photo in Larry's freshman year. Front row: Nancy Burritt, Sandra Cushman, Allison Cox, Susan Circosta, Marlene Cabana, Debbie Campanella, Arlene Breau, Debra Butler, Andrea Burger. Row 2: Donna Colapietro, Janice Breen, Nancy Cauley, Stephanie Chmielewski, Marsha Coons, Nancy Bryson, Alicia Coles, Steven Corey, Todd Cormier. Row 3: Dave Carpenter, Bob Bradley, Jeff Burton, Bob Clark, Roger Campbell, Tom Churchill, Larry Cooper, Jeff Crary. Not pictured: Sandy Brennan, Bradford Cook. 

Varsity track team in Larry's freshman year. Front row: Mr. Richard Bolles (assistant coach), Kim Hagopian, Warren Kenyon, Don Kattler, Erwin Belorusky, Steve Gonyea, Albert Bailey, Ronald Laliberte, Kim O'Brien, John Lewis, Mr. Francis Dutille (coach). Row 2: Dennis Ostrander, Charles Rinaldi, Robert Barry, John Palpini, Scott Lyman, Paul LaBroad, Felix Tranghese, Bill Creighton, Rich Mondoux, Lewis Thaxton. Row 3: Bill Anderson, Brad Smith, Charlie Stellato, Bernie Sweeney, Bob Willard, John Stratos, Dave Griffin, Richard Reis, Ken Goodrich. Row 4: Bernard Pozzi, Robert Paige, Don Millett, Ken Behan, Dave Pallatino, Roger Blood, Peter Keane, Paul Seymour, John Penstock, Jim Stratos. Row 5: Steve St. Marie, Larry Cooper, Jim Manferdini, Jeff Crary, Stan Sroka, Carl Larson, Mark Lacedonia, Stephen Broderick, Frank Mitchell. Row 6: Bob Ireland, John Stolecki, David Sand, Tom Ouellette, Bruce Ostrander, Larry Bradley, Victor Linden, Peter Ouettette, Rick Willard.

Junior varsity soccer team in Larry's sophomore year. Front row: Bill Kenyon, Robert Moran, Mark Willis, Thomas Kurkowski, Andy Byrne, Gary LaFave. Row 2: Mr. Robert Troutman (coach), Dave Carpenter, Ken Kurkowski, Ed Kopec, Jonas Robinson, David Thodal, Paul Gasperini. Row 3: Andy Farquharson, Larry Cooper, Frank Miorandi, John Penstock, Gary Lieberwirth, Alan Hubbard. 

Le Cercle Francais (French Club) during Larry's sophomore year. Front row: Larry Cooper, Paul Lamarche, Clyde Llewellyn, Fred Doersam, Rick Grimaldi. Row 2: Susan Henry, Nancy Kulik, Dianna LaBonte, Margaret Giallanza, Jeanne Mercieri, Barbara Gorman. Row 3: Dennis Plante, Bob Price, Debbie Campanella, Sandra Cushman, Janet Betterley.   

Mixed Chorus during Larry's sophomore year. Front row: D. Lawson, C. Robbins, Elizabeth Soffan, Debra Hamilton, Martha Heenan, Patricia Donovan. Row 2: Bill Scheumann, Chuck Taylor, Larry Cooper, Jim Wilkins, John Hire. Row 3: Cindy Richards, Rosanne Reis, Charlotte Merton, Elaine Reall, Ellen Hopkins, L. Gray. Not pictured: Sandy Brennan, Lee Mazzaferro, Gary Monson, Mr. Thomas Clough (advisor). 

Varsity track team in Larry's sophomore year. Front row: Mark Lacedonia, Roger Blood, Jim Manferdini, Felix Tranghese, Tom McCabe, Rick Willard, Bill Creighton, Jeff Crary. Row 2: Paul LaBroad, Steve Gonyea, Alfred Santos, Ken Goodrich, Ernie Miner, John Lewis, John Wrinkle, Ken Behan, Tom O'Brien, Dennis Paige. Row 3: Richard Hammond, John Moore, Mark Pozzi, Bruce Ostrander, Larry Bradley, Clark Swanson, Victor Linden, Mark O'Melia, Dennis Ostrander. Row 4: Tom Thompson, Richard Dion, David Bowe, Keith David, Stan Sroka, D. Pallatino, Paul Bouchie, Charlie Stellato, Bob Willard, John Ouellette. Row 5: Bob Ireland, Bruce Moore, Larry Cooper, Brian Lavertue, Bill Anderson, Erwin Belorusky, Chris Colman, Frank Mitchell. Not pictured: Coaches Mr. Frank Dutille, Mr. Ralph Rinaldi, Mr. Richard Bolles.

Junior varsity soccer team in Larry's junior year. Front row: Rick Pesto, Andy Byrne, Mark Willis, Leo Hood, Kenneth Butler. Row 2: David Correale, Gary LaFave, Richard Nimmo, Dave Carpenter. Row 3: David Thodal, Robert Serafin, Thomas Kurowski, James Westberg, Ed Kopec. Row 4: Peter Rybacki, Gil Paquette, Daniel Messier, Rick Oliveri. Row 5: Larry Cooper, Steve Fairbanks, Bill Kenyon, Don Jacobson. Not pictured: Mr. Robert Troutman (coach), Curtis Geoffrion, Kenneth Williams.

Varsity track team underclassmen in Larry's junior year. Front row: James Montana, Daniel Lawson, Michael O'Melia, Tom McDonough, Stephen Smith, Mark Pozzi, Rick Villamaino, Mark Hammond, Michael Shubert. Row 2: Steve Viger (manager), Gil Paquette, Bill Creighton, Rick Willard, Bruce Moore, Felix Tranghese, John Haetinger, Stan Sroka, Larry Bradley, Paul LaBroad, Mark McCandlish. Row 3: Larry Cooper, Peter Ouellette, Ed "Chip" McDonough; Bruce Ostrander, Jeff Crary, Carl Larson, Victor Linden, Kim O'Brien, Robert Hafey, Kevin Lightcap, Richard Dion. Not pictured: Brian Lavertue, Phillip Towle, Steven Wescott. 

Varsity soccer team in Larry's senior year. Front row: Channing Orr (manager), Andy Byrne, Gil Paquette, John Favorato, Alex Hunter, Paul Lieberwirth, Tom Kurowski, Bob Serafin, Ralph Cooley (coach). Row 2: Rick Oliveri, Bob Bradley, Mac White, Larry Cooper, Gary LaFave, Alan Hubbard, David Thodal. Row 3: Andy Farquharson, Rich Malmstrom, Steve Fairbanks, Ed Kopec, Carl Larson, Steve Newell, Bill Kenyon, Jim Mayer (manager). Not pictured: John Lasek, Tim Lynch, Bob Moran. 

1970 varsity track team seniors. Front row: Steve Viger (manager), Peter Ouellette, Kim O'Brien, Bob Ireland, Rick Willard, Larry Bradley, Stan Sroka, Carl Larson. Row 2: Gil Paquette, Paul LaBroad, Larry Cooper, Bruce Moore, Edward "Chip" McDonough, Jeff Crary, John Haetinger, Mr. Francis Dutille (coach). Not pictured: Jim Manferdini, Felix Tranghese. 

Larry 's Eagle Scout medal, the Boy Scouts of America's highest award. Courtesy of Mrs. Betty Coop0er.

 

Larry upon receiving his Masters of Science degree in business administration in 1975. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Betty Cooper. 

Larry's headstone in Greenlawn Cemetery, East Longmeadow, includes his father, Heywood Mills Cooper, who passed away in 1995, and his mother, Elizabeth Stowell Southwick (her maiden name). Photo courtesy of Bruce Moore.
 
To see other tributes, click on the "Life Tributes" link to the left and then on the page of interest.