Gallatin, Tennessee - John Knight Cooper, Jr. Born May 19, 1946, in Norfolk, VA. Devoted husband to his beloved wife, Gloria Cooper. Father to Jeremiah John Cooper and Susan Marie Shell. He has two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. On March 18, 2026, John was met in Heaven by Jesus, his grandfather, Monsieur Cooper, grandmother, Maybelle Cooper, his father, John Knight Cooper, Jr., his mother Ruthella Cooper, and his brothers, Tim Cooper and Jerry Cooper.

After his fathers Navy Military service, his father and mother, John, Sr. and Ruthella, brought him back to his ancestral farmland on Gibbs Lane in Gallatin, TN.

Farming, cattle and scouting was a part of the Cooper way of life. John began as a Cub Scout, became an Eagle Scout and then a Scout troop leader with the Boy Scouts of America Organization. He built the full-size Pirate Ship complete with cannons that he manufactured for the Scouts at Boxwell.

He attended Gallatin High and briefly attended UT in Knoxville. He left UT to move to

Titusville, FL. where he became employed by NASA at Kennedy Air Center during Apollo 8 through Apollo 17 flights. He was a part of the building crew on the launching pads for these rockets. He met and interacted with scientists, designers and crew of these programs. Due to his unbelievable amount of nonstop energy, he also worked in construction building apartments, homes, and nursing homes in Titusville and surrounding areas as well as with NASA.

After the Apollo 17 program, John returned to Gallatin to live at the Cooper homestead. He became employed by TVA at Hartsville Nuclear Plant to teach a carpentry apprenticeship program. He wrote and taught numerous manuals within that program for TVA.

In the 1980 's The Cumberland Wildlife Association contacted him to build a wooden barge to travel the Cumberland River. This project brought an abundance of attention to the Eagles and his wooden barge. This began another career for him by building reenactment Flatboats of the 1700 period as well as he began building and repairing boat docks on the Cumberland River.

Since 1986, John has built 24 Flatboats for various groups, and individuals. He took, planned and organized several trips on the Ohio River down to New Orleans on flatboats he had built. Web site is: cooperflatboats.net.

Static displays of the flatboats and keel boats are part of building creativity. John built a static display of a keel boat, fully equipment with antiques of that time travel for Early Works Museum in Huntsville, Alabama. Davidsonville State Park has a static display, also fully equipped, of a flatboat of the time that would have traveled the Black River. From a solid piece of wood, he would split the wood to make the individual planks for the models of houses. One model was of l:1- building at Camp Clements for the FF A. Several flatboat and keel boat models for displays are in river museums and at Davidsonville Arkansas State Park. One flatboat model he had made for an attorney in Washington DC, sat in the rotunda of the White House in Washington, DC.

He never accepted that something could not be accomplished. He made the difficult seem easy, a problem seem like a new adventure to solve. His energy level only slowed after the macular degeneration started, but he was constantly on a new project, or a new adventure - every day!! He could not be still. Everyday and every challenge he accepted with humor. Just about every day, no matter the weather he would make a statement, of"it's a beautiful day." He never saw anything negative. He never gave up on succeeding of what he knew he needed to accomplish.

John was first a Christian and a friend to everyone he met. His loves, outside his family, were the church, reading and discussing the Bible, history, art, storytelling, building, drawing, traveling, and the old westerns on television. Anything that kept him moving and learning. He loved and devoted himself to Gloria beyond measurement, every minute of every day.

Certainly, with all his love for the Bible, he has already been at the feet of Noah learning how he had built the Ark, discussing every minute detail of the plans with all the animals gatheredaround them. He certainly must also have already met with Abraham Lincoln and his father as they were among the first flatboat builders. Also, he would include in meeting Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, the cast of Gunsmoke, every Civil War General and soldier. The next thunder that is heard will most likely be someone showing John how to they blew up something!

His had great kindness to everyone he met. Status in life did not matter to him. If he met you, you were a friend to him.

His stories are great and many, just as the adventures of his life. He did have an opportunity this year to write some of his life stories in chapter form. Hopefully, these will be brought to life in a book for all to enjoy reading more of his life.

Rest in peace is not for John. Be whole, be humorous, my gracious husband.

Services for John will be held at his and Gloria's home, his beloved homestead, 251 Gibbs Lane, Gallatin, TN 37066 on April 4,2026 at 12:00 P.M.

Arrangements Entrusted to: Sumner Funeral & Cremation, Gallatin (615)452-9059 www.sumnerfuneral.com