Daphne Cooper October 11, 2024

Daphne Cooper was born June 30, 1925, to Hilda and Robert Tait in Arlington Massachusetts. Both of her parents had emigrated from the British Isles: Hilda from Gamblesby, England and Robert from the Orkney Islands in Scotland. At age eight, her mother took both Daphne and her sister Marion back to Gamblesby, England to persuade her grandfather, Robert Walker, to join the Tait family in Boston. Daphne always said that having to learn math using English currency (farthings, pence, schillings, crowns and pounds) contributed to her antipathy for anything math related. Robert Walker did join the family in Boston. He brought with him his violins and a love of music and teaching. Daphne learned to play the violin and piano and when it came time to choose a career would look to teaching as a possibility.

Daphne studied art and education at Wheelock College in Boston Massachusetts. She had summer jobs as a camp counselor in New Hampshire and as an au pair down near Cape Cod. She met Morgan, who was studying business at MIT, in October 1945 when they both attended a social at the Mount Vernon Congregational Church. By their second date Morgan was in love and 90 days later while on an Outing Club ski trip to a Youth Hostel in New Hampshire, he asked her to marry him, and she said yes.

Daphne’s father insisted that Morgan pay off his college debts before they married. So, upon graduation, Morgan got a job as a financial analyst trainee at Johns Manville in Waukegan, Illinois and Daphne taught Kindergarten in Arlington to 80 children (50 in the morning, 30 in the afternoon). After a year of hard work, they were wed June 26, 1948, in Arlington. Following a honeymoon in the White Mountains they headed to Long Island to take up their life together. They lived in Port Washington where Morgan commuted into the city and Daphne taught at Flower Hill School. She sketched her students, keeping a picture diary of her class. They enjoyed plays, visits to the beach and mountains. Then, Morgan got a job offer from Ford Motor Company which he couldn’t refuse. They decided to leave the East Coast and start a new adventure in Michigan.

Their time in Dearborn Michigan was one of the few times when they had difficulty finding both the time and energy for friends. Morgan worked long hours and Daphne was lonely and a little bored. Daphne did get an opportunity to work in the education department of Greenfield Village. Even so, Dearborn redeemed itself because their first child, Pamela, was born in neighboring Detroit and they had a chance to visit Morgan’s family in Howe Indiana. Another job opportunity came along, and they returned to the East Coast. Daphne was reported to have said, “I will never live in the Midwest again!”

The family grew and flourished in Ramsey, New Jersey. Libby was born, then Philip and Daphne found herself with 3 children under 4. Daphne invited her mother to join them in New Jersey concerned that she was lonely in Boston. Hilda arrived announcing she is there to help with the children. The two women, both strong minded, negotiated terms over tea for the next 20 years.

A huge fan of phonics, Daphne taught both Pam and Libby at home. Pam loved every minute of it while Libby was not at all interested. Just as everyone was getting settled in New Jersey… another job offer for Morgan arrived, this time even further west – outside Chicago Illinois. Daphne was lured away from the East Coast by the assurance that “there were many lovely tree lined, windy roads in Northern Illinois.” When she visited, they drove Route 62 outside Algonquin near the Fox River and she was sold.

After arriving in Crystal Lake Illinois Daphne quickly discovered that she had seen the only bit of road that reminds her of New England. Although on flat ground, they bought a large Victorian farmhouse on 3 acres with an orchard, barn and in-ground pool. Immediately, Daphne began to make it home. There was a small suite for Hilda and each child had their own room. She enjoyed the garden as did Hilda who now could grow her beloved English roses. Every afternoon, Hilda and Daphne had tea as they waited for various children to return from school.

In 1960 Penelope was born. Penny was a spina bifida baby and was much loved for 18 months and always remembered. Daphne was both thrilled and terrified when she learned that another child was on her way. Born in 1962, Vicki – Victoria for Victory – was born in August and the family was complete.

Daphne continued to pursue her art. She attended art classes and always had her sketch book or paints with her. Morgan encouraged her and every Christmas made sure that there was always a special present of art supplies. She also made sure that every child had piano lessons and took violin lessons herself.

When Vicki headed off to pre-school, Daphne went back to teaching joining Mrs. Toussaint and the kindergarteners at Central School. They forged a collaborative approach to teaching long before “team teaching” became a common practice. In addition to teaching, Daphne was very active in the League of Women’s Voters, AFS and AAUW. A cable TV pioneer, Daphne produced and starred in her own children’s cable TV series, Under the Greenwood Tree.

Daphne was a very gracious hostess and welcomed many people into her large home and garden. The annual Christmas party, the Carol Sing, began and quickly became a Christmas tradition which would continue no matter where they lived. In the summer, the family went on camping vacations to Wisconsin and often would return to the East Coast to introduce their children to family and the wonders of lobster, the ocean, and the mountains.

In 1974 the family moved to Marinette Wisconsin, still the Midwest: but this time with Green Bay, down the street, a sailboat and the Northern Wisconsin woods. It was a quite different culture than any that Daphne had experienced. She quickly set up her house and home. Daphne, as always, made friends immediately. She continued her work with AFS, welcoming Julio Cesar Vasquez to their home and he stayed connected to her family throughout his life. She also was active in P.E.O., NARAL, Planned Parenthood and NOW. A proud feminist and liberal she made sure that her children were raised to understand that you have choices, and nobody could ever say, “You can’t do that; you’re a girl.”.

A short two and a half years later the family was back in Crystal Lake. And once again Daphne created a home, reconnected with old friends and organizations and, as always, continued to paint. When Morgan got a new job and Vicki graduated high school they moved to Rockford in 1979.

Daphne enjoyed a wonderful new phase of life in Rockford. All her children were starting their own adult lives and she had a whole new city to explore. She worked as a substitute art teacher for the Rockford Schools. She founded with friends the Plein Air art group and worked hard on her painting and pastels. Her favorite subjects were flowers and, as they came along, her grandchildren. She also designed note cards and with Morgan’s help started her own business. Daphne also joined the “Fun of the Month” Club, the Gourmet Club, and the Mendelsohn Society.

Grandchildren were a big part of her life. Phil’s family was first with Heather joining the family in 1979, Matthew in 1981 and Nathanial in 1983. Just when they were no longer little, Libby’s children arrived, Bobby in 1994 and Christine in 1996 and Phil’s son Philip in 1994. Just when they were no longer little, the baton was passed to Vicki’s children; James in 2001 and Julia in 2004. Daphne loved each grandchild as an individual and enjoyed taking them on special outings. Even at age 80 plus she could be found playing on the floor with the newest babies.

Daphne and Morgan enthusiastically embraced the Swedish culture that surrounded them learning Swedish folkdances which led to the discovery of Folklore Village in Dodgeville Wisconsin. They loved the Christmas Festival and spending New Year’s Eve dancing, watching bonfires and dancing again to bring in the New Year. They also were key to starting a group of Scottish Country Dancers in Rockford and traveled to Madison Wisconsin for the Annual Scottish Country Dance Ball held in the Memorial Union every spring.

Daphne and Morgan enjoyed their many family and friends’ visits in Rockford. Hosting and enjoying numerous celebrations: Each of Libby’s and Phil’s weddings, their 40th, 50th, and 60th wedding anniversaries. The celebrations of the 60th continued in Door County, bringing together all their children and the grandchildren. And always without fail the annual Carol Sing launching every Christmas season.

They also traveled back to the UK and Ireland on a trip that included her father’s home in Orkney and back to Gamblesby. They also visited Scandinavia where they saw firsthand the culture that they had come to love in Rockford. Daphne made one final trip to Scotland with Morgan and Pamela to revisit Orkney, the highlands and Edinburgh in 2002. There were numerous trips back to New England and Cape Cod and around the Midwest with friends and family. “Fun of the Month” trips to Canada and New Mexico in Georgia O’Keeffe country that featured more painting and drawing. They also managed to visit California during Pam’s very brief stay in the Golden State.

Morgan died in 2010. They had an amazing partnership for 62 years where they supported and learned from each other and always took time for a good laugh.

Daphne stayed in Rockford until 2015 when she decided it was time for the next move. She gave up the house and moved back East. Before she moved there was one more garden party to celebrate her 90th birthday. All the family gathered including her older cousin Norman with his daughter Hildegaard both from Ireland. She joined Vicki in Rochester New York, claiming much like her own Mother that Vicki needed family.

Establishing her home on a smaller scale in her own apartment at Valley Manor. She immediately made friends. She enjoyed seeing her grandchildren James and Julia flourish and grow. She loved her lunches with Vicki. Daphne had a wonderful aid, Susan Bennet, who took her on outings to the theater and art galleries. They were regulars at the Little Café.

Daphne had two more moves. The first was to Seabury Village and then in Covid after some serious falls during the Covid-19 pandemic into the Episcopal Home on Monroe Street in Rochester. In all these places she was loved and treasured.

She is survived by, her four children, Pamela Cooper, Elizabeth Schulz (William Schulz), Philip Cooper (Mary Jo Cooper), and Victoria Robertson (Ted Robertson), her seven grandchildren Matthew Cooper, Nathanial Sutherland, Philip Gary Cooper, Robert Schulz, Christine Schulz, James Robertson and Julia Robertson and three step grandchildren, Erin Churchill, Jennifer Logli and Louis Pobjecky. All of her children, grandchildren and step grandchildren love and miss her immensely.

Predeceased by her parents Hilda and Robert Tait, her husband, Morgan Cooper, her sister Marion Crooker, her daughter Penelope Cooper, her granddaughter Heather Cooper and her AFS son Julio Cesar Vasquez.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday, September 28, 2022, at 4:30 PM at the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, 220 Winton Road, Rochester NY 14610 In lieu of flowers her family requests that donations be made to NARAL or Folklore Village to support scholarships for dancers.