San Diego, CA
“Coop” Gary Albert Cooprider – San Diego Union-Tribune
“Coop” Gary Albert Cooprider
OBITUARY
As a young man he met the love of his life on a Great Falls, MT, blind date with a twist: he was supposed to meet someone else, but Patti stepped in for her friend who had the flu. That one moment set the course of their future. He soon proposed to Patti over the phone while she was modeling in New York City. Patti fell for the handsome, successful Montana KQDI radio DJ and said YES to his grand plans for their lives. This valentine, February 14th 2026, they would have celebrated their 67th anniversary.
“Coop”, as you know him, lived an extraordinary 89 years; ingenious and full of creativity, broad interest in the arts, civically engaged, well-traveled, and with his unique charm, he made an impression on those who met him.
Early in Coop’s life, his parents Jessie and George ‘Al’ Albert, moved the family back from northern California to Spokane, WA. Coop was the big brother to Christina (Jun 2001), Sandy (Wenatchee, WA), and Douglas ( c. early 1940s). He applied his self-learning and tenacity, which spanned from his time as a paper-delivery-boy with his Radio Flyer wagon to a job creating artful signs and billboards, and eventually the move to Great Falls where as a radio DJ he shared his passion for music. He mingled with and interviewed musicians like Johnny Mathis, Ella Fitzgerald, and many more. Music was integral to his life.
In 1964, with only four children in tow, Coop and Patti (Patricia Darlene Keister; Jan 2021) made a bold decision – they packed up and moved to Germany to start Prudential’s first branch in Europe, where Coop simultaneously pursued his love of singing (stage name: Buddy Ashton), socialized with and helped coordinate USO and other shows of U.S. performers, such as Charley Pride, when they came to tour in Europe.
To best support their growing family in Germany, Coop ultimately chose to focus on his financial planning business. Together, Patti and Coop raised seven children; in succession: Kyle (Nov 2023), Tayna (Nakata), Kamila, Kendra (Paul), Gabrielle (Sillas), Molli, and Shannon (Slayer); each proud to look to their dad as a role model.
For nearly three decades, Coop supported U.S. service members and families living overseas, helped them create financial stability and protect their futures. He built an agency that provided substantial civilian employment while serving U.S. military personnel across Europe.
He believed in preparation, responsibility, and providing support to those you love. Coop’s kids often heard his mantra “grow independent together”.
With foresight and joie de vivre Coop and Patti filled their kids’ childhood with culture, education (in part at German schools), travel and adventure (through much of Europe, across U.S., North Africa, etc); created memories that shaped their lives.
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Global travel as a couple included Russia, China, and South Africa among others, exploring the world to feed their diverse and lifelong interests.
In 1991 Coop and Patti moved to sunny San Diego, as The Winning Team, they led an active and interactive social life. A friend from the art community expressed losing them as ‘it feels like the end of an important era in San Diego’s cultural scene’ and had joked with them that it seemed at times that ‘they had twinned themselves’, as they were ever-present at cultural and charitable events around town.
Most people who met Coop, be it at an arts event, restaurant, at the gym, or at Peet’s Coffee, were spontaneously serenaded with a personalized song in his voice that carried the smooth, timeless sound of Frank Sinatra and Vic Damone. Later in life, he recorded his own CD titled “14 for My 7,” featuring classics such as I’ve Got The World On A String, Summertime, and Come Rain or Come Shine. It is a gift to his family that allows a piece of him to live on.
Love of culture and the arts had Coop and Patti return to NYC numerous times; after semi-retirement, they even spent a full year living in the Big Apple, just to experience it more fully. Patti introduced him to Birdland jazz club, where he sang on stage with local and well-known musicians, which began an annual tradition of sorts. Singing truly brought joy to Coop and those in the audience.
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In each community they lived, life was a dream that both Coop and Patti created, making long-term friends and connections with their genuine passion toward anything to which they set their minds.
In San Diego, another friend of the arts recalls the impact that Coop and Patti made, which included the pivotal roles they played to coordinate and participate in events to benefit the launch of the Wolfstein Sculpture Park, the rescue of ARTWALK, help to save the 10,000 sq ft space in Balboa Park for SD Art Institute (now ICA), benefit the Globe theater, Paladion atrium’s exhibit of Collectors and Council Member’s Choice Benefit. Throughout the years, some of their support was shown by adding pieces of both established and up-and-coming artists to their ‘Cooprider Family Collection’ (Artworkarchive.com).
Coop’s engaging personality and charm carried him through a life rich with stories and laughter. Please share a thought or memory in the comments as you listen to him sing ‘Summertime’ at https://www.youtube.com/@mollipaige2152 (‘Legacy of Coop and Patti Cooprider’ channel).
His family includes grandchildren of whom Coop was incredibly proud: Tamy and Julian (née Heinz – dad Kyle), Erin, Ian, and Lillian (Paul), Shane (Sachs) and Aliah (mom Gabrielle), Chelsea (née Halladay) and Julia (mom Shannon), extended grand-kids, too, Blake and Tylor (bonus mom Molli). Coop’s legacy lives on in spirit.
At the home he had shared with Patti in San Diego, Coop passed away peacefully on the night of January 19, 2026. Reunited with his forever valentine, he is now pain free.
You can honor Coop’s memory with donations to an arts organization such as https://icasandiego.org/donate/ or to a community org such as the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation, which he proudly sponsored due to his son Kyle. https://sdbif.org/support-sdbif/
Through the ultimate gift to UCSD’s School of Medicine, Body Donation Program, Coop contributes to medical education and research, and hopefully more insight to prostate cancer and the lymphatic system.
The San Diego State Aztecs’ have moved off the bubble and back into the NCAA Tournament’s Field of 64 in the latest ESPN’s Bracketology projections.
The Aztecs must feel like a yo-yo, but now it’s in a good way. Bracket expert Joe Lunardi moved them from the bottom of the First Four Out — No. 72 — to holding the Mountain West’s automatic bid after an 89-72 home romp Wednesday night over Utah State, which had held the auto-bid in bracketology for a few weeks now.
Lunardi now has the Aztecs as the No. 11 seed in the West Region, with a projected first-round date against former MW rival BYU in Portland.
Lunardi wrote that SDSU’s auto-bid “shifts the entire bubble.”
Wednesday night’s victory not only pulled the Aztecs (19-8, 13-4) into a tie with Utah State (23-5, 13-4) atop the MW standings, but it was just their second Quad 1 victory in six such opportunities.
SDSU’s next two games are both Quad 1 chances, at New Mexico on Saturday and then at Boise State on Tuesday night.
The win lifted the Aztecs only one spot in the NCAA NET Rankings, to No. 43. Those rankings are used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for March Madness.
SDSU’s resume for earning an at-large berth has been on shaky ground all season, and was seriously damaged last week when the Aztecs lost at home to Grand Canyon and were then routed at Colorado State, both Quad 2 games.
SDSU’s best bet to assure a trip to March Madness for the sixth straight season is to win the MW tournament in Las Vegas and claim the automatic bid. That requires winning three games in as many days, and perhaps a third showdown against the Aggies, who beat the Aztecs 71-66 in Logan on Jan. 31.
Lunardi now has Utah State projected as an at-large team, but still with the No. 7 seed in the East, facing No. 10 Texas A&M in a first-round game in St. Louis.
New Mexico (21-7, 12-5), lurking just a game behind SDSU and USU, has dropped from the Last Four In at No. 68 to the First Four Out at No. 70.
The Aztecs were the unanimous preseason pick to win the MW regular-season title in their final season in the league before moving into the Pac-12 along with Utah State, Boise State, Fresno State and Colorado State.
Saturday’s game at New Mexico is set to tip off at 11 a.m. PT and will air on CBS.
The top teams in the West Coast Conference are jockeying for position in the standings as the regular season draws to a close, and the Oregon State women took care of business Thursday night, blowing out the San Diego Toreros 83-49 to move to 21-9 on the season, and 13-4 in conference play.
Oregon State’s Tiara Bolden Grabs WCC Honor After 44 Points Over Two Games
The Toreros have been a basement dweller in the conference for the last few seasons, so this result isn’t surprising, though it’s magnitude is a bit eye-raising. The Beavers wasted no time putting San Diego into a hole, opening the first quarter on an 8-0 run that Tiara Bolden and Kennedie Shuler getting involved early. Oregon State held a 14 point, 26-12 lead after one.
The second quarter wasn’t as lopsided, but San Diego wasn’t able to make much headway into the Beaver lead. Six points from Olivia Owens kept San Diego within shooting distance, but defensive pressure from Kennedie Shuler and strong rebounding from Lizzy Williamson kept the Toreros under control. Oregon State ended the first half up by 13, 40-27.
Oregon State Dominates Cougars in 79-51 Blowout
Oregon State tightened their grip in the third. While Olivia Owens and Kylie Ray managed to give the Toreros some hope early in the quarter, Oregon State went on a run late in the period to get their lead to 21 at the highest. San Diego finally snapped the Beaver hot streak, but a three from Kennedie Shuler ended the quarter in a 61-43, 18 point Beaver lead.
The bottom seemed to fall out of San Diego in the fourth, with the Toreros only putting six points on the board. Tiara Bolden and Kennedie Shuler kept the points flowing for the Beavers, while Lizzy Willilamson continued to dominate the boards. A layup with an and one from Elisa Mehyar were the last Beaver points of the game, giving Oregon State a 34 point, 83-49 win.
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It was a good night for several Beavers, with Kennedie Shuler once again leading the team in scoring. She finished the night with 22 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. She can do just about everything on the court.
Tiara Bolden continued her hot streak with a 17 point night, along with four rebounds and four assists. Jenna Villa added 14 points, one rebound and one assist. Lizzy Williamson added another double double to her resume, with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Oregon State’s Winning Streak Ends With 55-51 Loss to LMU
There’s one last item on the agenda for Oregon State, a season-closing meeting with the Loyola Marymount Lions Saturday at Gill Coliseum. The Lions handed Oregon State their first WCC loss of the season back in January, so getting some revenge before the conference tournament would be a good statement from the team. Tip off is set for 1 PM PT.
Mayor Todd Gloria sought the public’s feedback Thursday in shaping San Diego’s 2026-27 fiscal year budget, as the city launched a digital survey to help determine which programs and services are prioritized and which are reduced.
The survey is available at datasd.typeform.com/2027budget.
Officials will use responses in crafting the new budget, which takes effect on July 1. The City Charter deadline to release a draft budget is April 15, “allowing ample time for resident feedback to be considered during budget discussions,” officials said.
Gloria said that the city has already “closed hundreds of millions of dollars of a longstanding structural deficit, but we are not done. The next budget will require even tougher choices, and I want to be clear with residents: We will not be able to do everything we might like to do.
“I’m asking San Diegans to take a few minutes to tell us what matters most to them, and what they’re willing to forgo, as we build next year’s budget,” he added.
The five-minute survey is open to residents living within San Diego city limits. Those without home computer access can fill out the survey at any city library.
According to Gloria’s office, the city’s projected deficit is $120 million for the next budget, which the city is required by law to keep balanced.
In addition to asking what residents’ top priorities are, the survey asks if the city “should generate more revenue to protect services.”
Offered in English and Spanish, the survey is available until the start of May.
Officials said residents can also sound off on the budget process by attending City Council budget meetings either in person or via Zoom.
Council members will discuss the budget during their March 10 meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. at the City Administration Building downtown.
Public library locations can be found at sandiego.gov/public- library/locations.
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