Carol Jean Nelson Cooper passed away in Gilbert, Arizona on May 16, 2024.  She was preceded in death by her parents Raymond and Helen Nelson, brother John (Jack) Nelson, sister Joan Hancock, and grandson Matthew Kent.  She is survived by her son John (Brad) Cooper, daughter Julie Cooper Kent, grandchildren Andrew, Alison, Anne and Amy Kent.  She is also survived by niece Carol Hancock Patterson, nephews John Hancock, Ray Nelson and Bryan Nelson.

Carol was born in DeKalb, Illinois March 29, 1933, to Raymond and Helen Harrington Nelson.  She graduated from DeKalb High School in 1950 and graduated from Michigan State College in 1954.  Upon graduating from college she moved to Denver, Colorado to be near her sister Joan, where she worked as a buyer at The Denver Dry Goods.  She then moved to Los Angeles, California where she met and married John Cooper.  Carol raised her children in Orange County California, driving them to swim meets and various sporting events.  She enjoyed playing bridge, gardening, and was an adivsor to her sorority,  Alpha Chi Omega, University of California Irvine.  Carol cherished her lifelong friendships with her high school friends.

Carol moved to Scottsdale, Arizona in 1992 to be close to her children and grandchildren.  She was a loving mother, grandmother, friend and will be missed.

A private burial will take place at Fairview Cemetery in Dekalb, Illinois.