Christopher Van Cooper
Christopher Van Cooper was born on January 4, 1966, in Mobile, Alabama, and was the third oldest of six children born to Willie Abe Cooper and Shirley Marie Cooper. His parents taught him and his siblings the importance of hard work, dedication, and showing love and kindness to others from a young age.
Christopher graduated from Williamson High School in Mobile, Alabama, in 1985. He then attended Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, Alabama, where he met the love of his life, Leontyne Watkins. In 1992, he earned a B.S. in Computer Science.
Following graduation, Christopher and Leontyne relocated to League City, Texas, where they both began working in computer science at Loral Space Information Systems.This exciting new chapter in their lives marked the start of a shared journey, as they not only advanced professionally but also built a future together. Later, Christopher joined KBR as a contractor for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), where he worked for 32 years.
On July 25, 1992, Christopher and Leontyne united in holy matrimony, exchanging vows and beginning their life as husband and wife. Their love and commitment to each other grew stronger as they navigated both their careers and personal lives, creating a bond that lasted a lifetime. Their union blessed them with three beautiful children, Cristian Thomas, Cameron Abe, and Caitlyn LaShae.
Christopher was a member of Victorious Living Christian Center, where he demonstrated a strong faith in the Lord and always put God first in everything he did. He cherished his time in the men’s ministry, where he learned from fellow members and shared his own experiences.
Christopher Cooper passed away on December 2, 2024. He was preceded in his death by his parents, Willie Abe Cooper and Shirley Marie Cooper.
He is survived and deeply cherished by his wife of 32 years, Leontyne; three children: Cristian (Payton) Cooper of Beaumont, Texas, Cameron Cooper, and Caitlyn Cooper of League City, Texas; two grandchildren: Shane August Cooper and Sienna Autumn Cooper; one uncle: George Wilson (Francine) of Mobile, Alabama; five siblings: Ida Bennett (Cliff) of Mobile, Alabama, Melody Cooper of Mobile, Alabama, Charles Cooper (Roslyn) of Mobile, Alabama, Bernard Cooper of Mobile, Alabama, and Princess Cooper of Mobile, Alabama; Mother in Love: Bonnie Melton of Dolomite, Alabama, along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, a goddaughter, and many loving friends.
A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at 11:00 AM at Victorious Living Christian Center, 639 Smith Lane, League City, TX 77573.
We invite friends and family to join us in honoring Christopher’s memory, share stories, and reflect on the joy he brought into our lives. While we mourn his loss, we find solace in his love, and his unwavering faith in the Lord. Christopher will be loved and deeply missed by all.
May God continue to bless you and your family in your time of loss .. Just know we Love you and the family… Love your cuz Vonda Kaye… ❤️ 💙🩵
God bless Coach Coop. He was a true mentor. Kind, intelligent, helpful, and a man who did not demand respect but had it from so many because of the strength of his character. I will truly miss him and my prayers go out to his family and loved ones.
Sending our sincere condolences. My God strengthen and bring comfort to those that are close to him.
So sorry for your loss.
He was one of the nicest and best men that I’ve ever known. Always had that great smile.
I worked with him for many years at NASA. Many a time Chris was the calm voice in tech meeting disagreements.
We also share an interest in baseball and I remember a day where we spent most of the work day trying to find out how Mariano Rivera threw his cutter so that Chris could teach his sons.
I’ll miss him
Leontyne and family,
I was saddened to hear of the transition of your husband. I am sending heartfelt prayers and condolences that God will comfort your hearts during this time. Remember, earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.
Sandra R. Jackson
AAMU, Mobile, AL
Leontyne and family,
I was saddened to hear of the transition of your husband. I am sending heartfelt prayers and condolences that God will comfort your hearts during this time. Remember, earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal.
Sandra R. Jackson
Alabama AAMU Alumni
Mobile, AL
I am so sad to hear this news. Mr. Cooper was one of my son’s favorite coaches and the things he learned from this honorable and faithful man were not just about baseball. My experience with Little League would not have been the same without Chris and his whole family and I am truly thankful that I was privileged to call him a friend. My prayers go out to his wonderful family at this difficult time.
God has Blessed me Greatly by sending Mr. Cooper into my life. He has supported & guided me in my career. He is the reason I am here in Texas today. He recognized my potential to be successful in the career path that I had chosen. He assisted, advised and protected me, but stepped away & an allowed me to grow like a big brother. He was always just a phone call away and would be there at a moments notice if he was needed… He was selected as my daughter’s godfather and he did a wonderful job. She loved him and always happy to see him. Leontyne and Mr. Cooper were a great couple. They were a remarkable example of family and marriage. Thank You for your counsel… I am truly grateful and blessed to have known you… Mr. Cooper… Rest Well… Job Well Done… My Brother
Our hearts have been heavy since hearing news of your passing Coach Cooper. We are ever so lucky to have met you all those years ago when the boys started Little League baseball. You are an amazing husband, family man, mentor and friend, your positivity showed with every word spoken & the loge you have for your beautiful family. We will continue to keep Leontyne and the kids in our prayers. May GOD bring them peace, understanding and healing during this unexpected time.
Sister Leontyne and family, sending my deepest condolences, love, and prayers to you all. When I told my daughter (Desiree) about Brother Chris passing my daughter was saddened to hear this and reminded me about how Brother Chris admired her drawings at the Christmas program at the Church when she was in high school. One Sunday after church Brother Chris gave Desiree some art supplies with some encouraging words ” to not stop drawing”. Desiree is still drawing and painting as an adult. Such a kind and wise spirit.
Rest in Peace Brother Chris
Love, The Footman and Moore family
Jimmy and I just loved Coach Cooper. He exhibited such joy in all he did and it was infectious. When asked how he was doing, he would give you that big smile and say all is well Ms. Paulette, all is well. He would make my day better by his joyous demeanor. He coached our son for many years and showed such love for him even when he did the wrong thing. The world has lost a great man, one that will forever be missed. The Pearson Family knows that Coach Cooper is in heaven with our Lord and Savior, and he will be watching over all of his loved ones from now on. May God surround the Cooper Family during these hard days to come as you learn how to live without his great love for people, and his infectious joy. We love you all.
Coach Cooper was a great Man and Coach. The World needs more people like him. I loved watching our boys play baseball together or even talking baseball when no one was playing. I also enjoyed just catching up on Chris and Cam when Coach and I ran into each other. He always had a smile that would brighten my day. He will be missed but never forgotten 🙏💜🙏
Love,
Kristof
C/O 85 with our deepest condolences 💐 praying 🙏🏾 for you and your family
Coach Coop was a legend on and off the field. A true mentor of the game, loving father and beloved by all. He will be truly missed #Onthetopnotthebottom
My family and I mourn with you and send the whole family love and healing prayers during this time of unexpected loss😭💔. The very few times I met Christopher at functions during high school when Caitlyn and I performed in our high-school choir together – he was such a beam of light to be around. Always a friendly face and a warm welcome when you needed a brightening in your day. My family and I have known Leontyne and her family for many years through my mother’s years of work as a teacher at Gilmore Elementary. Leontyne has always been a rock for my mother when she needed someone to celebrate with, vent to, cry with, bounce ideas off of, needed a shoulder to lean on, or needed a laugh. The Cooper family has always been a light and blessing in our lives, all being such joyous, loving, and caring people. Knowing that Christopher has passed breaks my heart. He was taken too soon, but Heaven has gained another bright angel in its presence. Even those very few interactions I had together with Christopher had such a lasting impact, and shows you how much one person’s kindess as well as their family’s love and generosity have such a wide reach and can impact the lives of others in this smallest of ways. He will be missed and never forgotten, we will be here for you in this time of grief and healing, whenever and wherever y’all need. We will be your rock. We will continue to support you with prayers and love during this time.
With Much Love,
Alyssa and the rest of The Hughes Family
I am wrapping my arms around your sweet family.
I am so sorry to hear about his passing.
Christopher was a joy to work with! He was patient, always willing to help and friendly to everyone. We will truly miss him. Condolences to the family!
It is with a heavy heart that I send to Leontyne and family my prayers and deepest condolences during this time. I met Chris 32 year ago when have arrived at Loral from A&M along with other new hires. I did not know at this time that he would be the one that was always in my corner, no matter what the situation, boosting my confidence with words of wisdom and encouragement with that big smile and slight laughter as we talked through the situation. I shared many personal life stories and challenges over the years with Chris, he would always know just the right things to say, that made me feel at ease and comforted. I know he loved Leontyne and was proud of the boys, going to PV and playing baseball. We would end each conversation whether by phone or in person with one of us saying, “Man we got to do lunch, I’ll set it up,”. Sad to say we never did those lunch dates, but it will always feel as we did. We will do our lunch date next time I see him. I know God has him now, he was one His best. Rest in peace my dear friend. Job well done.
God knew what he was doing when he align a angel such as Mr. Coop in my path. In many ways, he has helped me see the best in my self during our time here at NASA. All of the talks and words of encouragement will live through all the memories of you. You made NASA feel like home for me and many others. You were a beam a light for many of us younger folks here. Thank you for being the blueprint and your continues effort to inspire us. You will be greatly missed. I send my deepest condolence to your family and love ones. May you rest in Peace and Power Mr. Coop.
My prayers and condolences to the Cooper Family. I will truly miss my brother in Christ as he was always interested in learning about Systemic Intelligent Fast Failure (SIFF) Quantum Thinking and the importance of embracing failure as a learning tool. He told me that SIFF Quantum Thinking opened his mind to the possibilities and probabilities of the unknown and that he was introducing this new Concept of Thinking to his sons. I was blessed to just be in his presence as we talked about how we would solve complex NASA technical challenges and come up with creative and innovative technical solutions. Also, we had spiritual conversations relative to how blessed and good God has been to us and our families and that we were going to continue to let our lights shine for others to follow as they live life in a cruel and unforgiving world. He was definitely one of my SIFF Soldiers and was proud of it. RIP C2 and I will continue letting my light shine for others to follow.
It was always delightful to be around Chris. His presence brought joy to our office space. One of the most straight-forward and decent people I’ve worked with. We will miss our friend. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.
I am so sad to hear this news. Mr. Cooper (Coach Coop) was one of my son’s favorite coaches. My experience with Little League was great when I had interactions with Chris and his whole family and I am truly thankful that I was privileged to call him a friend. My prayers go out to his wonderful family at this difficult time, keepin you all in my prayers.
Shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of Christopher. We started at Loral around the same time and had continued to work in close proximity over these many years. It brings a smile to my face to think back in the day when I could always spot Christopher when he arrived at work because of that distinct little black car with the gold wheels. In the early years, he became well known around the company as a superstar on the Command Team and, along with his talent, was given more opportunities where he excelled. Over the years, i came to admire Christopher for his great qualities:
-Hard worker
-Never was content in his accomplishments, but always looking to challenge himself in new ways
-Strived to improve himself and his team
-Treated everyone with kindness and respect, even if that wasn’t being returned
-Great laugh and smile
-Loyal
-Cool under pressure
And the list goes on. Can’t think of enough kind things to say about Christopher. He was a great man and will be missed by all those who had the pleasure to know him. Prayers for his family.
Leontyne, my heart goes out to you and your family. I was saddened to hear of Chris passing. I can remember when you two first got together. We were interning at different companies one summer as students from Alabama A&M University, but we called and talked about 2 hours one day, mostly about Chris. After meeting Chris, I found him to be a true genuine person. Cherish the memories with Chris. You all are in my thoughts and prayers.❤️
Chris’ beautiful soul is now with the Lord. He’s a role model I continue striving to emulate. Always positive. Always willing to lend a helping hand, attentively listen and provide thoughtful work and personal advice. Always spoke proudly of his family. With Chris it was always about helping those around him, … “loving thy neighbor”. We were all surely blessed to have him as part of our lives. To the entire Cooper family, may you find peace in the joy Chris brought us all, the light he brought on to the world, and when all is done to enjoy his company once again.
My heart aches. Christopher- known by many as Coach Coop was an amazing coach, father, husband and friend. During little league days he was a true mentor to my son. He will be greatly missed. My heartfelt condolences to Mrs. L, Christian, Cameron and Caitlyn. You are in my thoughts and prayers. God has surely gained a wonderful angel.
Leontyne, Christian, Cameron, and Caitlyn, deeply sorry to hear about your loss. Chris was a beautiful person and will be deeply missed. I met Chris in 1997 when I joined the ISS Command Team, he did not hesitate to share his talents with his co-workers and was always their to help out in a moments notice. Chris loved people and mostly was a great friend and family man. Chris mentored many of League Cities young men by Coaching baseball over several years where he taught the value of hard work and a positive attitude to succeed. What a great person to have known, but not forgotten. We will deeply miss him.
Coach coop has had a huge impact on my life
I will never forget the time and effort he put into making me a better ball player. He gave kids like me a chance and he expected nothing in return.
On our last NOW (Nothing overcomes winners) game he said that our team acronym wasn’t what we thought it was, it stood for Nothing Overcomes the Word, the word of god. I found that very special and it is something that will stick with me forever.
Coach coops legacy modeled Jesus’ in many ways. He instilled the importance of practice, and set us up so we can weather any storm in baseball, as Jesus set us up to weather any storm in life….
We will forever remember coach coops legacy, thank you for everything – “Cat”
I want to thank the Cooper Family for the Legacy of my dear Brother Cooper…every opportunity with you was a IRON SHARPENS IRON moment I will forever be grateful to our Heavenly Father for our paths crossing. Until we fellowship again. Much Love Man-of-God. 🙏🏽♥️🙏🏽
I have so many memories of your dad. Spending hours in the CDE troubleshooting and testing fixes for the command server. We were quite a team. Monicia, Phoung and I working endless hours. We seemed to actually enjoy it, even when it drove us crazy. I’ll never forget Christopher telling me “the server doesn’t lie”. Dig deeper into those logs. He was so right. We never gave up.