James "Dewey" Cooper, 70, of Tifton died Tuesday, September 28, 2010, at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 1, 2010, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals. Rev. Jason Jones will officiate with burial to follow in Tift Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends on Thursday, September 30, 2010, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mr. Cooper was born on October 12, 1939 in Tift County and was the son of Ethel Pritchard Cooper of Chula and the late, Clarence Dewey Cooper. In addition to his father, he was also preceded in death by an infant daughter, Angela Gayle Cooper; and one sister, Kathy Cooper Dove. He was a retired truck driver and of the Baptist faith.
Mr. Cooper is survived by his wife, Gayle Rainwater Cooper of Tifton; one son, Chris Cooper (Jana) of Tifton; two daughters, Cheryl Scott (Wayne) of Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Stacy Sapp (Paul) of Concord, North Carolina; one nephew and two nieces, who were like his own children, Scott Rainwater (Jennifer) of Tifton, Stephanie Dowling (Chad) of Sumter, South Carolina and Shea Gatewood (Crisp) of Tifton; one brother and sister-in-law, Randy and Carla Cooper of Tifton; one sister Wanda Gail Hobbs of Mount Airy; one brother-in-law, Earnest Dove of Tifton; mother-in-law, Ethel Rainwater of Macon; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Kathryn and Bubber Epps of Dry Branch, Jenny and Tink Lindsey of Tifton and Bob Rainwater and Bill Rainwater both of Gordon; 16 grandchildren, Michael Cooper (Laura) and Julie Cooper, Jorell (Melia) Scott, Lira (Bud) Reid and Rachael Scott, Alex and Ivey Sapp, Hannah, Miranda and Holton Rainwater, Caroline, Kaitlyn and Gracen Dowling and Lilli, Ginger and Layton Gatewood; five great grandchildren, Landon Cooper, Skylar and Summer Reid, Ronin and Leighton Scott; and many nieces and nephews.
Flowers will be welcomed or gifts may be made to Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation, P. O. Box 385, Tifton, GA 31793 or Tift County Relay for Life, P. O. Box 7514, Tifton, GA 31793.