While not a family member, Mr. Cooper is the grandfather of Hailee Cooper - my daughter from another family who came to live with us in the spring of 2018.
LAGRANGE — L. Wayne Cooper Sr., 73, of LaGrange, Indiana, died Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018, at Parkview LaGrange Hospital.
Mr. Cooper was born on March 30, 1945, in Wolf Lake, Indiana, to Leonard Tracy and Nelda Berniece (Keister) Cooper.
Living his lifetime in LaGrange and Noble counties, he was a 1964 graduate of Albion Jefferson High School.
For over 30 years he worked at the GE Plant in Fort Wayne. He was a member of the LaGrange County Bee Keepers and the GE Quarter Century Club.
Wayne was a United States Army veteran and served in Germany during the Vietnam War.
On Nov. 8, 1969, in Albion, he married Deanna Jane Claphan; Mrs. Cooper survives.
Also surviving are two daughters, Sarah Cooper of Fremont, and Rachel Cooper of LaGrange; and two sons and a daughter-in-law, David Cooper of Fremont, and Lenny and Jenny Cooper of LaGrange; 10 grandchildren, Nathan (Erica) Cooper, Kaitlyn Cooper, Gage Cooper, Ryan Cooper, Julianna Cooper, Alayna Cooper, Hailee Cooper, Isabella Cooper, Cadance Cooper and Abby Cooper; his mother-in-law, Eva Yentes of Angola; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Barbara and John Hovarter of Garrett and Donna and Ray Dean Snyder of Albion; a brother and sister-in-law, Larry and Nancy Cooper of Albion; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two sons, Trevor and Juliano Cooper; and his father-in-law, Lyle Claphan.
Funeral services will take place on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, at 10 a.m. at Orland Congregational Church, 202 E. State St., Orland, Indiana, with Pastor Mark Emelander officiating.
Burial will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery in Orland.
Visitation will take place at Frurip-May Funeral Home, 309 W. Michigan St., LaGrange, from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 17, 2018.
