Cooper, Pat
June 02, 2010Valentia's Pat Cooper was a special person whose brave battle against terminal illness ended on May 25, 2010, when he passed away peacefully having lapsed into a coma two days earlier.
Death, when it came, brought a merciful release to a man who personified all that was good and wholesome in human life. In January 2009 he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and he knew as well as anyone that his days were numbered. The medical people in San Francisco gave him seven months to live but that was without taking cognisance of his indomitable spirit.
He was the ultimate survivor and once the initial shock had passed, Cooper, far from feeling sorry for himself or retreating into his shell embarked on a Caribbean holiday. By the time of his final leave-taking he had confounded the expert view by showing what he was made of. Months of gruelling chemo sessions left him weak and worn but he still kept fighting on . That was the nature of the man and he knew on other way
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Born in Valentia, he grew up at a time when there were few creature comforts as we have come to know them in the modern era. For sure there was no Celtic Tiger, nor even a fat mouse, but Patie Joe ( as he was known locally) did not need the crutch of materialism to bring him happiness or fulfilment.
As a young boy he worked hard on the family farm and by way of recreation he played football during the long summer evenings after school. This was an activity that would define his later life and bring him to respect and acknowledgement of his peers.
After immigrating to New York he played on what is considered to have been the best Kerry side of any era in that city. Gaelic Park in the Bronx now became the epicentre of his life in exile and he won three New York championships before moving to San Francisco. Here he put down roots after his marriage to Naney Murphy of Cahersiveen.
But first the pull of home drew him back to Valenta after completion of his service in the US army and it was during this interlude that he picked up the threads of his now dormant football career. In 1965, when the islanders won the inaugural club championship of Kerry, he was one of their brightest stars along with his brother Willie, who played for Carlow and Waterford in the mid- 1950s.
The previous year he was a key member of the South Kerry team that stopped John Mitchels historic bid for six championships in a row with Willie, an immensely talented full forward, keeping Niall Sheehy at full stretch throughout.
Soon afterwards the American dream came back into focus when he decided to move to the west coast. San Francisco was now to become home for the remainder of his life and he progressed to become one of the best known and successful Irishmen in his adopted city.
In 2000 he was a popular deserving choice when named Kerry Person of the Year. But life was never bed of roses for the Valentia native who suffered more hard knocks than anyone might have reasonably expected.
First, his wife died suddenly while still a young woman and later his lovely daughter Kerry (San Francisco's entry for the Rose of Tralee Festival in 2001) died most unexpectedly at the age of 26.
Three previous back surgeries and a broken leg compounded those dreadful events. However, time is a great healer and eventually the man from Upper Tennis returned to Ireland to follow the fortunes of his beloved Kerry in the championship. He did this year after year.
A diehard supporter he found calm and healing by travelling to matches far and wide along with his nephew, Liam Lynch, and his close friend, Tim O'Driscoll. His family are in no doubt that Kerry's advance to the All-Ireland title last year kept him going when he was at death's door.
Sadly, the final whistle has blown for a great Irishman whose love of home and the values that shaped him were never in doubt. One of nature's gentlemen, nothing about him ever rang a false note and while it is considered mandatory to speak well of the dead, Pat Joe Cooper did not have to die to be appreciated.
The widespread popularity he enjoyed on both sides of the Atlantic was well deserved because he was a special person. He will be greatly missed and remembered with much fondness. May he rest in peace. Ar dheis lamh De go raibh an anam uasal
- Written by a lifelong friend
Courtesy of The Kerryman
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