John Craig Cooper

John Craig Cooper, born May 14, 1925, died peacefully at the age of 96 on March 2, 2022, in Amherst, Massachusetts.

John was born to parents Albert David Cooper and Anna Lois Cooper (Kneebone) in Kansas City, Missouri. He had three siblings, Tom, Albert, and Martha. At a young age, he developed a lifetime passion for music. Recognizing his talent, his mother encouraged him to pursue music and bought him his first piano, a Steinway, at the age of 14. He owned the piano for about 80 years. John attended the Wentworth Military academy in high school and served our country during World War II in the Army. After that, he finished his BA and MA in music at The University of Missouri in Columbia, MO.

He moved to New York City where he further pursued his career in music in the 1950’s, and where he met his wife of 63 years, Ruth Janet Cooper (Itschner). Ruth, deceased in 2020 at age 93, was also a musician, singer, and voice teacher. Together, they spent many years collaborating on musical projects. They had two children, Judith Ann Cooper (now deceased) and Rachael Graham (Cooper). They moved from New York City to Westchester County, NY to raise their family in the 1960’s. Then the family moved to California in the 1970’s, returning to the East Coast to settle in Massachusetts in the 1990’s.

John travelled extensively during his lifetime to Europe, India, and Asia where he studied and worked on music. His collaboration with Indian musicians let him to create a method for counting rhythm in Western music based on Indian rhythm (Ta-Ka-Di-Mi). John composed many works over his lifetime including piano pieces, songs, two operas, and pieces for string quartets and other musical ensembles. He conducted and performed his music at many venues in the U.S. and abroad. He was a truly remarkable individual.

He is survived by his daughter, Rachael Graham, his two grandchildren, Ondine Rachael Graham and Brent Ross Graham, and his son in law, William Paul Hurley. We miss him dearly.

SERVICES: His cremated remains will be interred at the Veteran’s Cemetery in Agawam, MA.

Assisting with arrangements is the Cremation Society of New Hampshire of Manchester.