Funeral services were held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, at Brandon Baptist Church for Dr. Clarence James Cooper Jr., 74, of Brandon, who died on Saturday, Oct. 7, at his residence. The committal service took place at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Grenada. The family received friends from 1 p.m. until service time on Tuesday, Oct. 10, at Brandon Baptist Church.
Dr. Cooper was born on May 14, 1949, in Spartanburg, S.C. He earned his undergraduate degree from Clarke College and earned his Doctor of Ministry from Luther Rice Seminary. He also engaged in further studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Dr. Cooper spent more than 50 years as a Southern Baptist minister having served at Keownville Baptist Church in New Albany, Mary’s Chapel Baptist Church in Ripley, Tenn., New Liberty Baptist Church in Vardaman, Emmanuel Baptist Church in Grenada and at Brandon Baptist Church in Brandon where he has served for the last 14 years. In addition to his service to the churches he pastored, he also served in many capacities in the Mississippi Baptist Convention. Dr. Cooper served as president of the Mississippi Baptist Convention from 2005-07, and also served in various positions on the Convention Board, including president in 2004 and 2010. Additionally, he also served as a trustee from 2004-12 on the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee and many other committee appointments.
Dr. Cooper grew up participating in a variety of sports. He later enjoyed supporting local high school athletics and cheering on his favorite college teams, the Ole Miss Rebels and Duke Blue Devils.
His father, the Rev. Clarence Cooper Sr.; mother, Clara Cooper Willard; brother-in-law, James Byford, and a great nephew, Cody Byford, preceded Dr. Cooper in death.
Survivors include, his wife of 54 years, Darlene Cooper; his daughter, Amy Cooper Harbison, and her husband, David, of Madison, Ala.; his son, Clarence Cooper III, and his wife, Karen Mullis, of Bartlett, Tenn.; brother, Charlie Cooper of Greer, S.C.; grandson, Cooper Harbison of Oxford, and granddaughter, Allie Harbison, of Birmingham, Ala.
Pallbearers in Brandon were Noel Daniels, William Haas, Freddy Harrell, Billy Henderson, Bryan Marshall and Richard Walley. Pallbearers in Grenada were Coley Bailey, Dr. David Daigneault, Johnny Shell, Robby Staten, Larry Williams and the Rev. Barry Worrell.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to the Brandon Baptist Church Building Fund for the new sanctuary or to the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Online condolences can be expressed to the family at www.mckibbenandguinn.com
McKibben and Guinn Funeral Service in Grenada was in charge of arrangements.
