Obituary of Carl James Cooper

GENEVA- Carl James Cooper, Jr., 78, passed away peacefully on Tues. (Sept. 14, 2021), at Geneva General Hospital. Friends may call from 5 to 6 p.m. Wed. (Sept. 22), at the Palmisano-Mull Funeral Home LLC, 28 Genesee St. Geneva. A funeral service will follow at 6 p.m., in the funeral home, with full military honors. Burial will be at the convenience of the family. Contributions may be directed to the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516 Topeka, KS 66675, or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Carl was born on March 17, 1943, in Chester, PA, and was a son of the late Carl James Cooper, Sr., and Amelia (Menendez) Cooper. He served his country proudly as an MP for 20 years, 5 months and 23 days, in the United States Army. Carl was a humble and highly decorated soldier. His medals included the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Army Commendation Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. After retiring from the Army, Carl went to work as a Corrections Officer for the Ontario County Sheriff's Office, where he served for over 20 years. While working in the jail, he implemented a bilingual GED program and was highly respected by the inmates and his colleagues. In 1997, Carl received the NYS Corrections Officer of the Year Award for heroically saving an inmate. He retired and continued to serve his country volunteering to drive veterans for a decade for the Veteran's Administration. Carl traveled the world and spoke 5 languages fluently. He connected with many in his life. His presence will be greatly missed. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Mireille "Mickie" Renee (Hesson) Cooper of Geneva; sister, Patricia Gaither of Levittown, PA; brother, Robert Cooper of Tulsa, OK; several nieces and nephews and a host of friends and colleagues.