Thomas Nelson Cooper

Thomas Nelson Cooper, 75 of Saint Petersburg, Florida, passed away, Saturday, September 21, 2019, at Tampa General Hospital surrounded by his close family and friends. 

A memorial service will be held at 4:00 P.M.  Saturday, October 26 at Lakewood Family Church 12637 Pony Ln, Hudson, FL (727) 856-1770.  

Tom was born September 18, 1944, in Saint Petersburg, Florida to Corbet and Elizabeth (Bruce) Cooper. He graduated from Northeast Highschool in 1962. In 1976 he married his wife Lynda (Sorondo) Cooper in New Port Richey, Fl. Tom was a carpenter for the duration of his life. A trade he learned from his father and passed down to his children. The nature of his profession and his skill level afforded him the ability to travel to many countries for work. Africa, Haiti, and France were just a few places Tom left his creative mark. In the latter part of his career, Tom ran and operated his own successful company along with his wife and he employed several of his children. Tom suffered a heart attack and had multiple life-saving surgeries. However, he was surviving on less than 10 percent of his heart's capability. He was a good candidate for a heart transplant and was placed on the transplant list. Both Tom and his wife Lynda had a deep-rooted belief in the Lord, and they put their trust and faith in God’s hands and prayed that Tom would be healed. After two years of waiting, Tom expressed to his wife that he had doubts that he would receive his new heart in time to save his life. In which his wife, Lynda replied, “All in God’s time”. Two hours later, Tom received that life-changing call from Tampa General Hospital that they had a heart for him. On February 14, 2006, Tom received his new heart which gave him 13 additional years to be with his beloved family. Unfortunately, he struggled immensely developing cancer from the immunosuppressant medicine he had to take to keep his new heart from rejecting. He was a double amputee and had many surgeries and complications along the way. Tom was a fighter though he was the strongest person we all had the good fortune to know and the opportunity to love. Tom’s hobbies were woodworking, singing in the church choir for most of his life and making anyone he came in to contact with smile and laugh. Tom had a certain magnetism about himself, he made strangers feel comfortable like they were lifelong friends. He truly was a gift unto this earth, he will surely be missed and will never be forgotten.   

Thomas is survived by his wife of 42 years Lynda Cooper, his two daughter’s Sherri-Lynn Boloyan and Tiffany Noëlle Cooper and his three sons Thomas Steven Cooper, Michael Scott Cooper and William Gene Cooper.  Thomas was a proud grandfather as well as a great grandfather. He is also survived by his sister Judi Phillips and brother John Cooper. He was preceded in death by his parents, Corbet and Elizabeth Cooper and his brother Wayne Cooper.