Walter Lee Cooper

SALT LAKE CITY — Walter Lee Cooper, 77, died Jan 3, 2005, after a valiant battle with lung cancer.

He was born July 30, 1927, in Townsend to Walter Henry and Esther Juanita Maxwell Cooper, one of 13 children.

He attended schools in Ronan and then joined the U.S. Navy. He married LaVerne Scott in Elko, Nevada. They raised their four children in Dugway, Utah, and his civil service duties took them to Viet Nam, Korea and Germany.

He loved family and friends, making many visits to Montana. He especially enjoyed the Flathead Valley and golfing.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife LaVerne, sisters Irene, Juanita, Edna, Marjorie and Maxine, and brothers Gilbert and Jim.

Surviving are his four children: Craige (Margi) Cooper of St. George, Utah; Christine (Paul) Lemieux of Boise, Cindy McCarthy of Salt Lake City, and Candace (Clint) Martindale of North Salt Lake; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; sisters, Phyllis (Walter) Mangels of Polson and Marlyn (Thomas) Ronan of Ponca City, Okla., and brothers Don (Alice) Cooper, Bill Cooper of Missoula, and Gary (Ramona) Cooper of Las Vegas, Nevada.

On May 7, 2004, he married Mary Lou Russel of Salt Lake City, adding to his family daughters Sally McQueen and Susan (Rogers) Bowers, one grandson and three great-grandsons.

Graveside services with military rites were held Jan. 8 at Lakeview Memorial Cemetery, Bountiful, Utah.

The family thanks the doctors and nurses at Huntsman Cancer Institute, 1900 S. Circle of Hope, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 for the loving and compassionate care given to Walter Lee.