Edwin Cooper passed away on September 5 at the age of 96. The son of Jacob and Diana (Mendelson) Cooper, he was born on November 16, 1925 in New York City. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School and City College of New York, and did post-graduate work at Columbia University. A longtime resident of Ardsley, he spent the last decade of his life at the Osborn in Rye.
At age 18, during the height of World War II, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, assigned to the 286th Engineer Combat Battalion, and later deployed to England, France, and Austria. The battalion’s campaigns included the Colmar Pocket, an allied victory that marked the liberation of France. Decades later, the government of France recognized his service in Colmar by awarding him the rank of Knight in the French Legion of Honor.
After the war, he had a long and productive career in the media industry, including many years at the New York Daily News and Hearst Magazines. Throughout his career, he was a prolific writer, director, and producer in a variety of media— ranging from television and print advertising to documentary short film. He loved jazz music and the big bands of the 1940s, that music often playing in the background as he wrote.
While he was proud of both his wartime service and his productive career, he was first and foremost a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. The one true love of his life was his wife, Gertie Cooper, whom he married in 1953 and made his life’s top priority until his final days. Despite a demanding professional schedule, he routinely made time for family dinners, often racing to school events or little league games fresh from an out-of-town production shoot.
He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Gertie, his children Amy (Anthony Dunleavy) of Hartsdale, NY and Jeffrey (Alexandra Stevens) of Greenwich, CT, and grandchildren Justin, Benjamin, Ethan, and Colleen.
Services will be private. A celebration of life will be scheduled at a later date.
The family would like to thank Dr. Cathryn Devons and the management and staff of the Osborn and Osborn Home Care for their devoted care. Those wishing to make a gift in memory may wish to consider organizations related to World War II veterans or jazz music, or the Osborn Foundation in Rye, NY.
