Martha Hanks Cooper

Martha Hanks Cooper grew up in Danville, VA with her parents Curtis and Mildred (Weatherford) Hanks, and her sisters: Laverne Campbell (John), Nicole Garrison (Harold), and her brother, Brantley Hanks (Judy). She attended Brosville High School and graduated in 1960. Interested in journalism and literature, she received a B.A. in English at Mary Washington College where she met many close friends and her husband-to-be David Cooper, a Marine Corps Captain, based in Quantico, VA. Together, they had many adventures raising a family and moving frequently for David’s career. Some of the many places they lived were Yuma, AZ, Hendersonville, NC, Schenectady, NY, Mesa, AZ, Bloomington, IL, Rockville, MD, Louisville, KY, Charlottesville, VA and finally Richmond, VA. She had many lifelong friends from each city. In the midst of moving around the country, she expanded her family, career and friendships. She raised three daughters Susan Cooper Kenny (Richard), Jennifer Cooper (Jonathan Coleman) and Dana Cooper (Phil Licking) all the while supporting her husband during his struggle with Multiple Sclerosis. Later, she was overjoyed to have 4 grandsons, John and Cooper Kenny and Sam and Ryder Coleman. She was fondly known as the “Grand- mama.” As she grew her family, she built a career. She was an English teacher and then became a human resource manager after receiving her master’s degree in Human Resource Administration at American University in Washington, DC. She worked for many years at General Electric Company and then transitioned into human resources management during the nineties tech boom. She knew about video gaming before her grandsons did. Martha, an avid reader and Words with Friends addict, never turned down a game of Scrabble and was delighted by a successful Wordle. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends. Funeral services will be held Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 1:00pm at the Wrenn-Yeatts Westover Chapel. Internment will follow in the Dan River Primitive Baptist Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society or to the University of Mary Washington (formerly Mary Washington College). Wrenn-Yeatts Westover Chapel is respectfully serving the Cooper family.

Martha Hanks Cooper

July 15, 1943 - April 27, 2023