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Cooper 'fought for the right of people'

Russell Cooper, former warden and reeve, died Jan. 15
2018-01-18 Russell Cooper
Russell Cooper, shown during his term as Simcoe County warden in 1982, died Jan. 15 in his 92nd year. (County of Simcoe/Submitted)

Friends and family are mourning a longtime politician and volunteer with deep roots in Simcoe County.

Russell Cooper died Jan. 15 in his 92nd year.

"Russell was a man of great integrity. He served his community to the utmost," said Tom Garry, who was reeve of the former Mara Township when Cooper served as reeve of the former Rama Township, before they merged to become Ramara.

Cooper and Garry were on the same page when it came to their municipalities joining the County the Simcoe. When the former Ontario County, which included Mara and Rama, was dissolved in the 1970s and became part of Durham Region, Cooper and Garry weren't having it.

"We never wanted to become a region. Hence we belong to the County of Simcoe," Garry said. "Regional was always focused on a central point in the region, and the rural municipalities were forgotten about. Russell and I always made sure the rural municipalities were at the forefront."

Both Cooper and Garry served for 21 years as municipal politicians, and each was once warden of Simcoe County — Cooper in 1982 and Garry in 2002.

"He fought for the right of people, not lobbyists," Garry said of his late friend.

That quality inspired John O'Donnell, a Ramara Township councillor.

For example, when Casino Rama came to town, "Russell wanted for our townships to get some of the revenue to offset some of our expenses, and I'm still fighting for that," O'Donnell said.

He described Cooper as "a great community man."

"He was always involved with the fair and different things in the community."

O'Donnell was referring to the Ramona Fall Fair. Cooper spent years on the Ramona Hall fair board.

"He's certainly been a pillar in the community and was a huge supporter of the Ramona Hall and the community," said Glenn Spriggs, vice-president of the Ramona Hall board, and a friend and neighbour of Cooper's. "He was a role model."

He noted Cooper is "always going to be an honorary member of the Ramona Hall."

"You're not going to find a more honest and humble person," Spriggs said.

Garry agreed.

"The world has lost a great friend and the world will be poorer for his passing," he said.

He praised Cooper for having "a lovely temperament" and being "a joy to be with."

That, despite Garry not being able to get ahead of his friend in a card game.

"I played euchre with him and never won a darned thing."

Cooper's long list of community involvement includes serving with the school board, health board, Children's Aid and the Washago Heritage United Church board.

A funeral service for Cooper will take place Friday, Jan. 19, at 2 p.m. at Carson Funeral Homes' L. Doolittle Chapel in Orillia.


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Nathan Taylor

About the Author: Nathan Taylor

Nathan Taylor is the desk editor for Village Media's central Ontario news desk in Simcoe County and Newmarket.
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