SEPTEMBER 22 • 2022 | 109
OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY
G
erson Cooper, 88, of
Bloomfield Hills, died
Sept. 8, 2022.
He was a leader in the
healthcare community, local-
ly and nationally, and in the
Jewish community, notably at
Temple Israel, for decades.
“My dad was a fabulous
guy,” said Gerson’s son Adam
Cooper. “People loved to
be around him. He was the
smartest guy in the room and
never had to tell anybody that.
He was articulate and con-
scientious in the way he went
about his day. His identity was
split between being a dad, a
grandfather and husband.”
Cooper was born Dec. 27,
1933, to Charles and Phyllis
Cooper, who emigrated from
Lithuania. Cooper was the
middle of three brothers, he,
David and Michael.
He attended Cass Tech and
was a strong swimmer and
bowler. He then attended
Wayne State University where
he was an accounting major.
He enlisted into the U.S. Air
Force at age 26 and was sta-
tioned in Schenectady, New
York, where he served as a
munitions officer before his
honorable discharge.
Cooper ended up going
into hospital administration,
something he “learned by
doing.” He got good enough at
it that he was very often asked
to lecture at the master’s level
about healthcare administra-
tion, both in East Lansing and
Downtown Detroit.
Cooper worked at Zieger
Osteopathic Hospital and then
at Botsford Hospital, now part
of Beaumont.
He was involved in health-
care locally but also got
involved at the state
level, serving on
statewide boards and
on advisory com-
mittees to help draft
statewide legislation.
Cooper often went
to Washington, D.C.,
and testified before
congressional com-
mittees, even helping draft
healthcare legislation signed
into law by President Jimmy
Carter.
“You would be hard-pressed
to get him to talk about things
like that. He just assumed peo-
ple who can do things like that
should be doing things like
that,” Adam said. “He worked
very hard. There were long
days. We held him in very high
regard and knew there was a
certain amount of sacrifice.”
Cooper served as president
and CEO at Botsford, eventu-
ally serving as president of the
Michigan Hospital Association
and American Osteopathic
Hospital Association.
He worked for 50 years in
that space and retired from the
hospital at age 75. He timed
his retirement with his ascen-
sion to presidency at Temple
Israel, a decade-and-a-half
commitment of rising through
all the levels of its executive
board. Cooper had leader-
ship roles at Temple Israel for
decades where he made an
impact on the congregation.
“
As a leader of this con-
gregation, (Gerson) was
instrumental in establishing
and augmenting the amazing
culture of our congregation,”
Rabbi Paul Yedwab said at the
funeral service held at Temple
Israel.
He sat on many Boards
of Trustees: Blue
Cross Blue Shield,
Michigan National
Bank, Farmington
Hills Chamber of
Commerce and
more.
He was
extraordinarily
but very quietly
philanthropic for Jewish/
State of Israel causes, health
care associations and research
societies, and the arts.
Cooper loved Broadway
musicals, the symphony
and a fine wine. He was an
avid tennis player and skier
throughout his adult life. He
loved traveling with family
and his “cruise group” of six to
eight couples.
Even with the long hours
and many important roles he
held, Adam says Gerson was
an amazing husband, a great
father and an “unbelievable”
grandfather, something
Claudia Cooper, his grand-
daughter, emphasized at the
funeral.
Along with their parents,
Claudia said “Grandpa Gersh”
was front row at all school
concerts, games, musicals,
project presentations and
prom pictures. He was their
driver’s ed teacher, their date
to daddy-daughter dances,
college tour companion, and
that even with all the roles
and titles he held, there were
none he took so seriously, so
diligently and so sacred as
when he became a grandfather.
“He was the picture of
integrity,” Adam said. “He did
the right thing for the right
reasons. He was an exceptional
communicator. He facilitated
an awful lot of change, and for
the better.
“His professional skills as a
leader mimicked his work as
a parent — he delegated really
well and empowered even
better. He never compromised
his standards. The emails and
texts that have come to me
and our other loved ones are
just packed with superlatives.
He was poised, professional,
elegant, ruggedly handsome.
He was a superhero.”
Gerson Cooper was the
beloved husband of the late
Carol Cooper. Cherished
father of Eban Cooper, Dr.
Adam (Carol) Cooper and
the late Eden Cooper Sage.
Proud grandfather of W
.
Hunter (Kelsey Martin)
Cooper, Claudia Paige Cooper,
Natalie Grace Cooper, Elijah
Jack Sage, and Jonah Emmett
Sage. Dear father-in-law of
Dr. Jeffrey (Monica) Sage.
Loving brother of David (Pat)
Cooper and the late Michael
Cooper. Dear brother-in-law
of Fran Cooper. Devoted son
of the late Charles and the late
Phyllis Cooper. Also survived
by Bruce, Mark and Eric Luria
and their families, and many
other loving relatives, friends,
and his families at Botsford
Hospital and Temple Israel.
It is suggested that those
who wish to further honor the
memory of Gerson Cooper do
so by making a contribution
to Temple Israel, Carol R. &
Gersh I. Cooper Scholarship
Fund for careers in healthcare,
5725 Walnut Lake Road, West
Bloomfield, MI 48323, (248)
661-5700.
Interment was at Beth El
Memorial Park. Arrangements
by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
A Giant in Health Care
DANNY SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Gerson Cooper