Mark Cooper, 64, passed away on Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 4, at Grinnell Friends Church. Burial with military rites was held in the Searsboro Cemetery. A luncheon followed the burial at Searsboro Community Center. As a request from Mark’s family, please no flowers; a memorial fund in care of Mark Cooper has been established to help his wife Sara. Donations may be sent to Sara’s home or via digital currencies PayPal and Venmo. For any further questions, please contact Suzanne or Michael.
Mark Grant Cooper was born Aug. 21, 1957, to Kenneth and Leah Newport Cooper at the Grinnell Hospital. He grew up in Searsboro and Newton and graduated from West Branch High School in 1975. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from 1975 to 1978. Mark then enlisted in the U.S. Army serving from 1978 to 1987. Mark married Sara Kwang (Yi) on June 5, 1980. They raised their two children Suzanne and Michael. Mark enlisted in the U.S. Air Force from 1998 to 2008, with enlistments in the Reserves and National Guard between active duty dates, retiring as a Master Sergeant. He attended Grand View University and graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. Degree in 2015. After retiring, he served as a peer support specialist for the Veteran’s Administration Health Care System.
Mark loved his family very much. He was the grandfather of three grandchildren, enjoyed photography, hunting, fishing, his military friends, fossils, and writing poems and later a book.
Mark is survived by his wife Sara; his daughter Suzanne of Ankeny, his son Michael (Lindsay) of Ankeny; his grandchildren Harper, Calvin, and Norah; his siblings Greg (Robin) of Cedar Falls, Michelle of Tucson, AZ, and Todd of Columbia, MO.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his parents and his brother Kenny Wayne Cooper.
