Obituary of Victoria Cooper

Victoria Elise Cooper passed away on Monday, November 22 at home in Portland Oregon, at age 67, after a 12-year battle with breast cancer.

Vickie was born July 16, 1954, in Lewiston Idaho, to Elsie “Tillie” Johnson and C. Victor Everheart. She was the youngest of three siblings, with brothers Greg and Gordon. Her father died when she was 9 years old, and her mother later married John Weyenberg, who was a wonderful grandfather to her kids. At age 16, she moved with the family to Portland, where Vickie graduated from Franklin HS.

At Oregon State University, Vickie was part of the Kappa Delta sorority, where she made many lifelong friends. While at OSU, Vickie met future husband Doug at college. They married in 1977 and she graduated with a bachelor’s degree that year.

Vickie’s career included working as a classroom aide helping students at Lenox Elementary School. She earned a master’s degree in Special Education from Pacific University in 2008 and taught special education students at Witch Hazel Elementary for six years before retiring. Her experience as an aide helped greatly when as a teacher, she needed to manage nine aides.

Vickie believed in the power of public education and equity for all students. When daughter Tammy asked to be homeschooled or sent to private school, Vickie explained that if all the engaged parents like her sent their kids to private school, it would degrade the quality for the remaining kids.

She became a leader for Special Olympics Oregon, coaching Bocce for 10 years, and served as Washington County Local Program Coordinator for several years. As a parent of a special needs child, she saw first-hand what it was like to be different and treated differently. Vickie had a knack for seeing who was being left out and knew how to make them feel welcomed and included in the group.

Vickie and Doug have been members of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Washington County since 2013 and they appreciate the church’s focus on equity and inclusion, especially for LGBTQIIA+ people.

She also worked as an Outreach volunteer for HomePlate Youth Services two days a week for over two years because she wanted to help homeless youth in the area.

Vickie loved traveling and seeing new places. She and Doug traveled to the UK, Europe, Alaska, Morocco, Canada, Hawaii, Tahiti, Mexico, and Central America. Vickie and Tammy visited Costa Rica in 2013 and Japan in 2019, shortly after her cancer turned metastatic. Vickie’s sense of humor eased more than a few travel mishaps.

She loved music from the 60s and 70s as well as classical music, recently enjoying the Portland Opera production of Tosca.

Vickie was talented in baking desserts and candy making. She acquired a love of baking pies from her stepfather and baked multiple pies for every holiday season. Inspired by her mother’s recipes, she perfected homemade fudge, penuche, and divinity confections.

She is survived by husband of 44 years Doug Cooper, daughters Jenni Cooper and Tammy Ball and son-in-law Chris Ball, grand-dog Theo, and her brother Gordon Everheart.

Vickie wanted to say how fortunate she was to have such good friends. In her last weeks, it became apparent she had attracted and maintained many great friends through her loving and accepting personality.

Vickie wanted her ashes spread on the Oregon Coast, a favorite spot for weekend getaways with Doug.

Donations can be made in her name to Breast Friends, the Pink Lemonade Project, or HomePlate Youth Services. Please honor her memory by showing love and acceptance to all, especially those that are different from you.

Her life will be celebrated in June 2022. RSVP at https://forms.gle/G1hdDP66qfTRe9Z99