Lavern Cooper

COOPER, Grace Lavern (nee SHAFER) died peacefully on Tuesday, 5th July 2016 in her 102nd year at Victoria Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre following a short illness.  God has answered her prayers and she is now at peace.  Many thanks to the doctors and nurses on the General Surgery Service and the Palliative Care Service who cared for her in her final days and to the wonderful staff at The Waverley Retirement Residence where Lavern lived for the past three plus years. Lavern was born in Windsor, Ontario to Arthur A. Shafer and Grace Corbett. She spent her first years growing up in Windsor, moving to London, Ontario at age 13 where she attended Victoria Public School, London South Collegiate, and London Business Institute.  The Great Depression forced Lavern and her family to return to Windsor where she would meet her husband Edward “Ted” William Cooper speed-skating at the local arena.  Speed-skating became a life-long activity for Lavern and she only stopped in her 85th year. Lavern worked as a book keeper for The Canada Permanent Mortgage and Housing Corporation and then quit work in 1946 to nurse her mother who was dying of breast cancer.  Her brother and only sibling, Robert Shafer miraculously survived a battle with acute bacterial endocarditis, in the days before penicillin, but tragically went on to die of a pulmonary embolism following mitral valve surgery in 1950.  Her son, and only child, Paul Edward Cooper was born to her and Ted in 1948.  Lavern’s father and his second wife Anna Lynch died tragically in a house fire in 1957 and then her husband Ted died in 1974. Lavern had three grandchildren-Adam (Joanne), Ian (Allison), and Alicia (Conor) who called their diminutive grandmother TBT (“tiny but tough”) and tough she was.  She was very independent and strong-minded.  She lived on her own, looking after her own financial affairs entirely until age 98, when she moved into the Waverley Retirement Residence.  Lavern was also very talented.  She was a seamstress and knitter of professional quality-making all her own clothes-even coats and hats.  She could upholster a couch or a chair.  She could lay patio stones or a brick wall.  At the age of 40, she took up playing the organ and got good enough at it that she played for fashion shows at the Elmwood Casino in Windsor.  In addition to playing the organ, Lavern was a talented baker-winning a wedding cake decorating contest.  She also painted in oils, did copper tooling, paper tole, and ceramics. In her later years she was a loving GG (great grandmother) to Emily and Kaitlyn (Ian and Allison), Cara (Adam and Joanne) and Myles (Conor and Alicia). Lavern was active in her church throughout her life.  She and Ted attended Knox Presbyterian Church in Windsor and were members of the committee that saw a new church building erected on Askin Avenue.  When they moved to Riverside they attended Riverside Presbyterian Church and Lavern continued to teach Sunday School until Paul graduated from high school.  Both she and Ted were ordained as elders and she served the Kirk Session for many years as roll clerk.  After Ted’s death Lavern, always eager to keep active, returned to the work force taking up a job in the court system in Windsor as a court clerk and typing trial transcripts “in her spare time”. In 1997 Lavern left Windsor and moved back to London to be nearer to her son Paul and his husband David Hiebert.  She enjoyed very much being back in the town of her teenage years and made many new friends in the city, including friends at Elmwood Avenue Presbyterian Church where she attended for many years. Lavern will be remembered by her many friends and family for her feisty spirit, her love of telling a joke, and her enjoyment of a rum and coke at a party-but only one!  She was someone who was always willing to help out and to help others-whether it was teaching them how to make fudge and pastry, or driving them to a doctor’s appointment, or just being a good friend. There will be visitation at A. Millard George Funeral Home, 60 Ridout Street South, London on Friday, August 5, 2016 from 7 – 9 p.m.  The Funeral will be held at First-St. Andrew’s United Church, 350 Queens Avenue, London, ON N6B 1X6 (corner of Queens Avenue and Waterloo Street), on Saturday, August 6, 2016 at 10 a.m., with visitation 1 hour before the service.  Interment will be in Windsor at Victoria Memorial Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Friends of Music fund at First-St. Andrew’s United Church or to El Sistema music program for young people at Aeolian Hall, 795 Dundas Street, East, London, ON N5W 2Z6, or to The Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, or to The United Way would be appreciated by the family. Online condolences, memories and photographs shared at www.amgfh.com