Charles Raymond Cooper

Born: November 7, 1934
Date of Death: May 28, 2017
Age of Death: 82 years

Charles Raymond Cooper (1934 - 2017)
Obituary

Nov. 7, 1934 May 28, 2017 After a long life full of love and accomplishment, Charles Cooper died at home in Land Park of lung cancer, surrounded by his family. It was the end of an 82-year journey that took him from a small town upbringing to the height of his profession as a scholar and writer. Along the way he built a loving circle of family and friends. 

Charles was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1934 to Pat and Jean Cooper, and was the first of six children. The family struggled economically and moved frequently. Charles' mother died of Hodgkins Lymphoma when he was 13. A self-described indifferent student through primary and secondary school, he worked a paper route, helped out at his dad's pharmacy, and drove a bakery truck, among other jobs. He was a champion memorizer of Bible verses to which he later attributed his love and mastery of the English language, even after he had left religion behind. He rode a bike all over those small towns, seeking the railroad tracks and the thrill of a loud train speeding elsewhere. Charles earned his BA in liberal arts from Eastern New Mexico University. He served in the Army for two years between the Korean and Vietnam wars and felt lucky to be stationed in Hawaii. He moved to Sacramento to teach English at C.K. McClatchy High School, and earned his masters in English from Sacramento State. In 1964, he married Mary Anne (Frye) Clementson, the widow of his friend, William Vincent Clementson, father of Vincent and Laura. In 1966, his daughter Susanna was born in Berkeley, where Charles and his new family moved so he could earn his PhD in English Education at UC Berkeley. While at Cal, he taught high school English at Ygnacio Valley High School. His academic career took him to teaching and research positions at UC Riverside, the State University of New York at Buffalo, and finally UC San Diego, where he directed the Third College Composition Program and became one of the country's premier experts on teaching writing. In 1985, he co-authored the St. Martin's Guide to Writing, which became the best-selling college writing textbook in America, now in its 11th edition. He also authored or co-authored other textbooks, including Reading Critically, Writing Well, and The Concise Guide to Writing. Charles worked hard every day and rose early to write with monk-like devotion. He also loved growing vegetables, listening to jazz and classical music, playing his clarinet, perfecting his coffee brew, reading biography, and traveling with Mary Anne. Together they created beautiful homes full of books and art, and supported the education and creativity of their children and grandchildren. They especially loved their summer cabin and, later, their ranch near the Sierra town of Sattley, where family and friends gathered for good times, star gazing, storytelling, and martinis on the porch. Over the past eight years he dealt admirably with the creeping onset of Alzheimer's, and the steady loss of short-term memory and reasoning that had been a hallmark of his sharp and focused mind. He was good-humored to the end, and he recognized and expressed love for all of his people. In addition to Mary Anne, Charles is survived by his children, a musician, an artist and a writer: Vince Clementson Cooper (Donna), Laura Cooper (Nick Taggart) and Susanna Cooper (Eric Douglas). He leaves his grandchildren (Kate, Charlotte, Abby, James and Lily) and great-grandchildren (Alex, Sam, Alice, Margot and Lulu). He also leaves his siblings, David Cooper (Suzanne), Nancy Hubbell (Alan), Steve Cooper (Vicki) and Caroline Cooper (Ben); niece and nephews (Willa, Stefan and Andrew). His sister Patsy died before him. His brothers and sisters were an important support system for one another as they migrated from a challenging upbringing in Texas to lives of education, accomplishment and creativity in California and beyond. The Cooper family wishes to thank the UC Davis Medical Center Pulmonary Unit and UC Davis Medical Center Hospice for their expert care of Charles and support of the family. He had a peaceful and pain-free passing, just the way he wanted. Charles donated his brain and body to research in hopes that Alzheimer's will be better understood and new treatments found. The family will have a private event to honor his life later this summer. There will be jazz. Donations can be made in Charles' name to the Humanities and International Studies Program (HISP) at C.K. McClatchy High School: www.ckmhisp.org. We are so grateful for all he taught and provided for us, and for his exceptionally good company.

Published in The Sacramento Bee from June 2 to June 3, 2017