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