Gary Cooper

William Gary Cooper, 75, passed away peacefully at St. Joseph Medical Center September 25, 2019. lnurnment will be held at Johnson County Funeral Chapel and Memorial Gardens in Overland Park, Kansas. There will be no public service.

Gary was born July 12, 1944, in Stafford, Kansas, to Pauline and William Cooper. He grew up on the family farm in Preston, Kansas. He was active in 4-H and enjoyed helping his dad around the farm. He graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in mechanical engineering.

He married Ellen Petroshak in 1971. They had a wonderful and loving marriage for 48 years. They had a daughter, Jennifer, whom Gary loved and with whom he enjoyed watching football and baseball.  He was an avid Kansas City Chiefs, Royals, and Kansas State fan.

Gary began working at Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies plant in 1968. He was Senior Technical Manager of Mechanical Engineering. He had more than 40 years of nuclear weapon component production experience. Before joining Honeywell, he was an engineer with the Atomic Energy Commission. In 1980, he was awarded Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. He retired in 2009 after 41 years of service.

Gary was a kind and caring man, always finding ways to help others and bring joy to their lives. Gary was preceded in death by his parents and two infant sisters. He is survived by his wife Ellen, daughter Jennifer, cousins, and many friends.

Memorial contributions may be made to Kansas State University Foundation, 1800 Kimball Avenue, Suite 200, Manhattan, Kansas, 66502, or the Pratt Area Humane Society, 10233 Bluestem Boulevard, Pratt, Kansas, 67124, or the charity of your choice in Gary's honor.