Joan Elizabeth Cooper

God fulfilled His promise of safe passage on the wings of faith for Joan Elizabeth Cooper, last Friday morning July 18, 2003. Mother Cooper took her flight from her home immersed in the word of God. There was no prior notice of her departure. Her trip was totally spontaneous and as is true to form for Momma Joan, she was totally and completely prepared for her final trip.She was born Joan Elizabeth Patterson on September 1, 1932 in Baltimore, MD to the late Linton and Mary Patterson. She had two siblings, a twin sister Jean Patterson Powell and brother Walter Patterson. Both preceded her in death.She was reared and educated in Granite Quarry, NC. In 1946, she returned to Baltimore and continued her education at Booker T. Washington Junior High School and Frederick Douglass High School where she graduated in 1951. Her education continued at Morgan State University, Strayer College, Oral Roberts and Sojourner Truth.Joanne, as she was often called, was raised in a Christian home where faith and prayer were bywords. Her loving mother taught her that “Prayer is the key to faith and faith unlocks doubt’s door.” In North Carolina she attended White Rock A.M.E. Zion Church. When she returned to Baltimore, she joined and was baptized at Enon Baptist Church where she began teaching Sunday school at the age of fourteen. After ten years at Enon, her next assignment was at the Morning Star Baptist Church where she continued to teach. There she helped to organize and establish their Baptist Training Union and Vacation Bible School. From 1970 to present, Mother Joan worked in numerous churches. However, she was assigned in membership to Wayland Baptist Church, Liberty Grace Church, and Victory House of Worship and her last assignment, Living Word Christian Center.Momma Cooper’s life was full and meaningful. She was always busy and able to execute numerous tasks with perfect precision and excellence. Nothing she undertook was left undone. She managed to juggle and balance Home life – which entailed raising four very active children and their friends, who she affectionately called critters and aliens; Work – thirty-plus years at Social Security Administration as an accomplished Labor Relations Specialist and Union Officer; Community – Political and Civil Rights Activist; and most importantly Church –as a teacher, organizer, and fundraiser.Her many accomplishments are too numerous to mention. She worked in many areas with all people from the President of the United States to the homeless. Wherever she worked, she left an indelible mark that was uniquely and obviously her own.Momma Joan loved friendly competition, board games and puzzles. During what down time she had, she would be playing video games, solving crossword puzzles, challenging the family to scrabble or working on a 1000+-piece jigsaw puzzle.Mothers love for her family was evident, abundant, available, and unconditional. Tough Love or tender Love, it was definitely real Love.Her love and relationship with God and His people was paramount in her life. She lived to glorify God and edify man. Her personal instruction from God was very simple, Do! Faith without works id dead! So she did whatever needed to be done according to God’s will. She would always say, “Not my will, but Thy will be done.” She was often found nightly sitting on her bed in a sea of Spiritual Literature… several bibles, concordances, notebooks, etc. This is where she received her inspiration and instruction from God and also most appropriately, from where God took her home.Mother Joan leaves to cherish her memory: her son, Walter Cooper, Norriston, PA. her daughter, Mary I.Rowlette, Baltimore, MD; her “other son,” nephew Phillip Powell; her “other daughter,’ niece Denise Joyner, Kansas; six grandchildren, Taaron Rowlette, Lauren Rowlette, Angelo Joyner Jr., Angela Joyner, Darren Joyner and Travon Powell; one son-in-law, Angelo Joyner, Sr., now in Iraq; and many other loving relatives and friends.

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Joan Elizabeth Cooper

September 1, 1932 - July 18, 2003