…what is it like dying twice? Is that a good thing or not? Was the experience of these two events similar? If not, which was better? If you had a choice, would you choose to come back again? These are questions I’d love to ask Ed should we meet in the hereafter… undoubtedly in very different places. And it was Dawn, his wife who gave him that second chance by way of her unwavering perseverance and skill. That was truly amazing! She never surrendered!.
Ed Cooper, (aka The Capt., The Admiral, Coop, Doc and other sobriquets), was the 14th president of our Covina Sunrise Rotary Club in ’95-’96. He led by example and could have been the poster boy for Rotary in all of its virtue. Our motto is “Service Above Self” and he lived it. When our dental clinics, Annual Auctions and Operation Santa Clothes fund raisers were conceived, the Capt was front and center in planning these events…especially in providing logistics… (and shrimp). In our early years, our events were labor intensive which required time, muscle and skill. Ed was all in. He never bowed at the alter of that lazy mythological deity, “Mediocritus” whose tag line is “good enough,” and good enough was never in his DNA. This is exemplary of his Naval training stressing detail. He lived the Rotary Four Way Test: “Is it the truth?” “Is it fair to all concerned?” “Will it build good will and better friendships?” “Will it be beneficial to all concerned.?” Most Rotarians are like minded and subscribe to this mantra. While Ed was a patient and empathetic guy, he was never amused by morons, liars and slackers. Ed Cooper was highly principled and a most honorable.
On a lighter side…I had, and still have, my first, last and only boat. I took ownership in 2001 and was so excited to tell Ed all about it. I went into great detail about its construction, power, use, materials, etc. I brought pictures and Ed immediately identified a 24′ open runabout designed as a lake boat. He then asked where she was going to run. Here is where Ed’s sense of humor enters. I said, ” in the Pacific.” He looked at me as though I had one eye on my forehead and after a brief pause and an eye roll, he said, “just remember RED, RIGHT, RETURNING.” That was code for… lake boats do not belong in the ocean, so stay close to mouth of the harbor, rookie. Navy guys get that.
Ed was a founding member of the infamous Four Skins (later renamed) who were encouraged to lead a sing-a-long at every meeting. We were awful and the membership threw all kinds of items at us… both soft and sorta soft. No one would sing along with us. It was just us four trying to sing harmony and we were…. let’s see… how do I describe this… we SUCKED!!! Ed had an idea. He suggested that we sing along with a guitar as a guide to keep us in tune. When asked who could play, Ed said, “I can.” OK Great! Well, not so great… he had a guitar though. At the news of Ed’s passing, the Rotary Singers (as we are known today) paid homage to Ed by singing his favorite tune at Rotary which was Mountain Dew.
I’ll close with another Capt Cooper incident which was noteworthy. Twenty-five years ago, a colleague of mine (and friend to the Coopers) was marrying a former South Hills student of mine from the early 70s. The event was held in Chula Vista and and we were excited and happy for the soon to be newlyweds. Here is where this wedding gets interesting. The officiate was a no show. In a panic, several of us encouraged Ed to serve as the JP since he was a naval Captain. While all in attendance knew this would not constitute a legal marriage, it would at least provide some relief. So, Ed stood beside a little fountain & pond at this outdoor venue (a substitute for an ocean) and performed a mock wedding ceremony. It was great. Later, the “real dude” showed up at the reception and performed the legal ceremony. All in all it was a fun event for the guests (not so much for the bride & groom) and eventually the right things happened for the right reasons. Ed saved the day.
We miss the Captain very much. He is in our Rotary lore as a legend and his many contributions are hailed and valued.
Sail On, Sail On Sailor
