Obituary of Lucy Jane Allen Cooper

April 14, 1928 – May 3, 2011 Jane (“Janie”) Cooper died peacefully at her home at the Cascade Inn on May 3, 2011. She was 83 years old. Her last days were spent much as her life had been, with support from her friends and family, with lively exchanges on many topics, with an exhibition of her irresistible charm and unwavering spirit, and with an abundance of love. Born April 14, 1928 in Grants Pass, Oregon, to Evelyn Carey Allen and Niel Richardson Allen, Janie attended high school in Grants Pass and then attended Stanford University, receiving her B.A. in English in 1950. A talented actress, she played roles in college productions. She worked during the summers in her father’s law office in Grants Pass and, after she graduated, worked in advertising for the Grants Pass newspaper. She married Martin M. Cooper in 1950 and they lived in Glendale, Oregon and then Glendale, California, before settling in Mt. Shasta, California. They raised their children Tina, David and Christopher in Mt. Shasta. When the marriage ended, Janie moved to Palo Alto, California to be near her family, and then to the Cascade Inn in Vancouver, Washington. Janie had a giving heart and great charm. She could light up a room with her engaging personality and spirit. She loved to read and to write; her witty letters were a pleasure. She was a talented pianist and loved to play to entertain her friends and family. She made friends for life and never forgot a birthday or an anniversary, always sending a note to remember the occasion. She was loved by all who met her. She is survived by her three children, Tina Cooper (m. Steven Stathatos), David Cooper (m. Cynthia Soffen) and Christopher Cooper (m. Georgene Nicklaus); seven grandchildren, Suzanne, Dan and Sean Stathatos; Kathy, Kara and Sam Cooper; and Nicole Cooper; her nieces, Carey Marie Kiekel and Carolyn Cooper, and her nephew Herbert (“Sarge”) Cooper. Her parents and her brother Niel Allen preceded her in death. She will be greatly missed. Janie wished to be cremated and laid to rest with her mother, father and brother at Hillcrest Memorial Park at Grants Pass, Oregon. A celebration of life will be held at a later time. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Red Cross. Arrangements by Crown Memorial Center - Portland.