Feb. 7, 1925 – Feb. 7, 2014
Elaine Edlefsen Cooper was born on Feb. 7, 1925, in Logan, Utah, and left this Earth on Feb. 7, 2014, her 89th birthday! She was the youngest daughter of Niels Edlef Edlefsen and Carrie Brown Edlefsen. Elaine moved to Davis as a young girl when her father took a job in California. She attended Davis schools, where she met her future husband, and graduated from Davis High School in 1943.

After attending college for a year in Boston, Elaine returned to Davis by train (posing as a soldier’s wife in order to get a ticket) and married Tom Cooper on Feb. 27, 1944. After living at Mare Island for a short time, Elaine and Tom settled back in Davis, where they raised four children.
Elaine spent some time during the war as a lab technician, but devoted most of her life to her family and community.

She was a volunteer for Hospice for years, and served on the city of Davis Recreation and Parks Commission. She was always there for her children, family and friends, and loved to laugh, knowing that a sense of humor could lighten most events. Anyone who met her was comforted by her “smiling eyes.”

Elaine’s fondest memories were of the times spent with family and friends at their cabin near Strawberry Lodge. She also enjoyed the “co-pilot” position when flying with Tom in his Beechcraft Baron.

Elaine was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Dr. Thomas Yates Cooper; sister, Ruth Edlefsen Anderson; brothers-in-law, Robert Anderson and Clarence C. Cooper; and sister-in-law, Clarace Cooper.

Elaine is survived by her children, Thomas Neil Cooper and Holly, Susan Cooper Mefford and Steve, Cynthia Cooper Evans and Scott and Stanley Robert Cooper and Valerie; her grandchildren, Scott Cooper and Sue, Carrie Bendick and Josh, Kendra Stuart and Bill, Kim Robinson and Johnny, Sean Evans, Ian Evans and Amanda, Thomas Evans, Kacy Cooper, Niels Cooper and Julia; 10 great-grandchildren; brother-in-law Ernest Cooper and Joyce; eight nieces and nephews and their families and numerous lifelong friends. She will be missed!

There will be a family graveside service for Elaine, reuniting her with her husband on Feb. 27, which would have been their 70th wedding anniversary.
Please join Elaine’s family at a celebration of her life on Feb. 27 at 4:30 p.m. at University Retirement Community, 1515 Shasta Drive, where we will “laugh, tell stories, and laugh more” as Elaine requested! Parking is limited at URC, so please drop guests off at the front and park across Covell Boulevard in the Sutter Davis Hospital parking lot.

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