Gertrude R. Cooper
Gertrude Rigg Cooper, 101, passed away peacefully Monday, Oct. 13, 2014. She was born in Petoskey, Michigan, on Aug. 17, 1913. Gertrude, whose husband predeceased her in 1973, lived at 253 Jamaica Lane in Palm Beach, Florida, since 1951 and summered in Lake Placid since that time.
Gert, a former Northern Michigan Winter Sports Queen, grew up in Petoskey and met her husband, Roland Cooper, there, where he operated a summer silver business. They were married in 1940 and moved to Lake Placid, opening the Silver Shop in the Lake Placid Club. After serving his country in the Army Air Forces during World War II, Roland returned, and the Silver Shop eventually became Darrah Cooper Jewelers, which still operates on Main Street in Lake Placid. A second shop, on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach and later in the Royal Ponciana Plaza, also in Palm Beach, opened in the early 1950s.
Gert – known to her family and many close friends as “Bum Bum” – is survived by her loving daughters: Carol Burnham (Jeff) of Lake Placid, Mary Darrah Henn (Earle) of Marietta, Georgia, and Martha Briggs of Vero Beach, Florida; and seven grandchildren: Mark Crawford of Lake Placid, Corey Henn (Jackie) of Los Angeles, California, Tiffany Atkins (Mark) of Athens, Georgia, Shelby Adams of Athens, Georgia, Jennifer Briggs (Brandon Boutelle) of Lake Placid, Joe Briggs of Lake Placid, and Liza Briggs of West Palm Beach, Florida. She also had 10 great-grandchildren.
Gertrude’s zest for life and enjoying good times was characterized by her favorite song, “I’m a Gone Wrong Gal,” which she sang in full at her 100th birthday party. The “gone wrong gal” is gone and will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
The family will announce a celebration of Gertrude’s life at a later date.