Sister Barbara Cooper

Cooper, Sister Barbara, SNJM Albany_ Sister Barbara Cooper (Robert Anthony) died August 12, 2022, at the Sisters of St. Joseph (CSJ) Provincial House in Latham, NY, after more than 6 decades of loving service as a Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. The first daughter of Robert and Harriett Harrington Cooper, Barbara was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, though she moved among various government bases in 6 states because of her parents’ war-related careers. Her family had strong roots in the St. Louis area, and she spent many warmly-remembered years living with cousins and grandparents until the family settled in Silver Spring, Maryland, for her high school years. There she met the Sisters of the Holy Names and set off to their novitiate in 1954 to fulfill the dream she’d had since age six to become a sister. Barbara’s kind, earnest, and generous ways endeared her to her colleagues and to the many first and second graders she taught in parish and Holy Names schools in New York, Florida, and Virginia. A reading teacher expert, she earned an education MA in 1971, while continuing to teach and use her excellent organizational skills as a principal. Though she loved teaching, she always felt a strong call to nursing as well. And, when it became clear that the Holy Names infirmaries had urgent need of hands-on and administrative staff, she volunteered to pursue the professional preparation for that work. She started nursing studies at Maria College and went on to earn an MS in nursing in 1987. She gained breadth of knowledge and invaluable experience in clinical and emergency settings and nursing supervision at Children’s Hospital, Washington, DC, and St. Joseph’s Hospital, Tampa, FL. These years seemed a natural preparation for Barbara’s call to service in rural central Florida where she founded the nursing program at Indian River Community College, Okeechobee, FL. She organized all essential structures for the fledgling program such as curriculum, accreditation, coordination of student admission and evaluation, and staffing. While she navigated the college instructional complexities, her title was Assistant Professor of Nursing, but her role was midwife/animator/motivator/leader. After 15 years as nursing program coordinator and instructor, with hundreds of student lives transformed, Barbara retired from the college in 2006, and spent several years at the Academy of the Holy Names, Tampa, FL., as school nurse and assisted the sisters with their health needs. When her own health required it, Barbara moved to the CSJ care center in Latham in 2015. Here, even in her eighties, her service orientation and gentle strength made her a warm presence and able informal “volunteer” to patients and care-giving staff alike. She saw these years as a time of spiritual enrichment and deeply appreciated the prayerful atmosphere, caring staff, and community life. All of us Sisters of the Holy Names are grateful to the Sisters of St. Joseph for these blessings. The strong family bonds established back in her Missouri childhood with her grandparents, aunts, uncles and many cousins continued to shape and energize Sister Barbara’s whole religious life. Ann Sharp, her cousin, and Ann’s family were especially close to Barbara. She always had from these families the love and support that complemented her personal gifts and faithful prayer life. These graces animated the little girl, the stalwart young woman, the dedicated religious_ beautifully expressed in a lifetime of learning and serving. The Sisters of the Holy Names will celebrate the life and “new life” of Sister Barbara on Wednesday, August 24, at the 11:00 AM Mass in the CSJ Provincial House Chapel. There will be a “time of remembering” prayer before Mass, starting at 10:00 AM. Anyone wishing to join us must be fully vaccinated and wear a mask. For those who wish to remember her in this way, donations in Sister Barbara’s honor and to extend her ministry may be made to the Sisters of the Holy Names, 1121 New Scotland Rd., Albany, NY 12208

Sister Barbara Cooper

April 12, 1936 - August 12, 2022