Stanley Reed Cooper

“

He had a gift for making people laugh and enjoyed being surrounded by others.

Stan Cooper was born on November 30, 1963, in Merced, California, to Robert and Shirley Cooper. The youngest of four children, he was raised on the family farm in El Nido, California. He graduated from Merced High School in 1982 and later moved to Boston, where he earned a degree from Emerson College in 1987.

He passed away peacefully in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 23, 2026, at the age of 62.

Throughout his life, he pursued a variety of careers and interests. His first job was working on the family farm. After graduating from college, he remained in Boston, where he was a founder of an event-planning business aptly named Cooper Productions. He later moved to Washington, DC where he came to manage a thriving dog daycare facility. An extended stay in Provincetown, MA became 10 years, most of which time he worked as a dental-care case manager for the local health care center. Leaving Provincetown for Douglas, MA and Putnam, CT, Stan returned to his agricultural roots through landscaping and estate management.

Known for his warmth, kindness, and wicked sense of humor, he was dearly loved by his family and friends. He had a gift for making people laugh and enjoyed being surrounded by others. Whenever he returned to Merced, he made every effort to visit with as many people as possible. He shared a particularly close and playful relationship with his sister, Melinda, and the two often teased each other about who was the more spoiled.

When calling his parents, he would cheerfully begin with, “Number Four, checking in,” before asking how Mom and Daddy-O were doing.

“

He was also an enthusiastic admirer of Dolly Parton.

His many passions included theater, playing the piano, singing, gardening, restoration projects, and interior design. He especially enjoyed rearranging every piece of furniture in every room of every home in which he lived. He was also an enthusiastic admirer of Dolly Parton.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Robbie. He is survived by his husband, John Young; his parents, Robert and Shirley Cooper; his brother, David Cooper; and his sister, Melinda Shaughnessy (Dennis). He also leaves behind many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and one great-great-nephew.

A celebration of life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on September 19, 2026, at Central Presbyterian Church in Merced, California. A luncheon will follow the service.

A celebration of life for Stan will be held on the East Coast in late Spring 2027 in Provincetown, MA.

--

“we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

-oscar wilde