Bette Martina Cooper

Bette M. Cooper

1941 - 2025

Bette Martina Cooper passed away, surrounded by family, on Wednesday, April 16th, 2025. She was predeceased by her parents, Alfie and Gwen Davis; in laws Cliff and Jessie Cooper; brother, Bill Davis; sister, Linda Turnbull; daughter, Donna Hanson; and brother-in-law, Ken Gorby and sister in law Diane Cooper.

She’s remembered by her loyal and loving husband, Al Cooper; their children Bob (Michelle) Cooper, Angie (Kirk) Daniel, Reg Cooper; Gerald Hanson;her sister and friend, Darrel Gorby; sister-in-law Dolly Davis; brother in law Doug Cooper ;brother in law George(Joyce) Cooper; and brother in law Gerald Turnbull. She was loved by 11 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and longtime friends.

Bette was born February 6th, 1941, the first of four children. She grew up in the community of Govan, SK. She attended school there, and later in Regina, before beginning work with the Government of Saskatchewan. She served in various departments in different cities for over 30 years before retiring.

In 1959, Bette moved to Regina where she eventually took a small apartment in the house of Doug and Diane Cooper. Many times, they’d have Bette join them for supper along with Doug’s brother, Al. He would walk over every day. So, a friendship was struck up that would last for and change the rest of her life.

Al and Bette were married October 6th, 1967 in Regina. Their family grew in 1968 when they welcomed Donna, then Bob in 1970, Angie in 1972 and Reg in 1973.The kids remember going fishing with Mom and Dad, getting the lines tangled or snagging hooks and watching Dad fix them. They’d play cards and go bowling and play baseball with the congregation. Mom enjoyed curling and loved to watch it with the family, too. They camped all over, taking the truck and camper from Brandon to BC to Minnesota. Many good memories were made.

Family meant everything to Bette and she stayed in close touch as her kids grew up and had families of their own. She called regularly even if it was just to ask what you were making for supper. She would often cook and host family dinners and would be the first to invite everybody out for lunch, usually to Houston’s. It was important to her to have everyone together.

She loved children and had a bond with each of her grandkids. They all would take turns coming for sleepovers at Grandma and Grandpa’s place. Grandpa would read the kids Bible stories before bedtime and then wake up early to make pancakes and breakfast before service or cartoons in bed.Grandma would take them on her rounds to Value Village and garage sales, to feed geese in the park, or to her community garden which she loved planting and growing every year. She’d always send them home with lots of chocolate and candy.

Bette loved people and took an interest in them. She was known for her pop-in visits, often bringing a plant or a flower for your house or a bag of veggies from her garden. She was generous and looked for ways to help whenever she could - you didn’t have to ask. She was a spiritual person and loved attending Bible-based assembly programs and talking about the conversations she and Al would have with people in their ministry. They really enjoyed the years they were able to spend togethervolunteering full-time to teach Bible lessons.

For 57 years,Bette and Al built a life together. They lived in Saskatoon, Regway, and Yorktonand finally settled in Regina, near family. They loved playing cards and Scrabble and wouldn’t miss a chance to

attend a party where they could be found on the dancefloor. Evenings were spent checking the garden, visiting friends, or just going out for a drive. You’d seldom see Bette without Al beside her. They shared everything including their entrée (two plates, please!) They were a real pair.

Bette was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses on July 30th, 1960 and spent the rest of her life helping other people learn about Jehovah God and His beautiful promise of a paradise earth. The hope of that bright future sustained her as she faithfully endured loss, tragedy, and increasingly poor health. She so looked forward to a time with no pain when she’d be back together with those whom she missed.

It's hard to sum up Bette’s life, the person she was, and the impact she had on the people who loved her. She was a real character with a huge heart and she will be very much missed.

Al and the family would like to thank the compassionate staff of the Regina General Hospital’s ER and ICU. Thanks, too, to all the dear friends who’ve called, messaged, or stopped in to visit. Your love is greatly appreciated.

A funeral will be held Saturday, May 10th at 2:00 PM at the Kingdom Hall Complex of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 2020 Van Egmond Place, Regina, SK.To attend via Zoom the Meeting ID is 858 2463 4615 and Rev21:4 is the passcode. If you’d like,in lieu of flowers you can make a donation at donate.jw.org.