Rosemarie Cooper

On March 25, 2020 Rosemarie Cooper (nee Hopps) passed away at 64 after an incredibly brief battle with pancreatic cancer.

Rosemarie was born in Cardiff, Wales on October 17th 1955. At age 13, Rosemarie and her family moved to Canada. She was intelligent and gutsy, a brilliant student and debate champion and graduated from the University of New Brunswick planning to be an educator.

Rosemarie moved to British Columbia and met her soon-to-be husband - they started their relationship backpacking through South America. They started a family and while her marriage eventually ended they remained friends.

She was a selfless, generous, loving person and utterly open to all people and all experiences. She had a zest for life and her optimism and her positivity were infectious. She traveled whenever she could. She went Bungee jumping for the first time in her 60s. She found ways to accomplish what seemed impossible and she never seemed to tire.

When she got sick her hospital room was never empty - the people she had touched flooded towards her. Included in the condolences messages are so many similar themed comments - "she was there for me." And it was true - if you needed her she was there. She did not have much but would give it to you without hesitation.

She lived her last weeks how she spent her life – showing kindness to all she encountered, living life to the fullest, never complaining, and not burdening any of us with her worries about the future.

Rosemarie will be deeply missed by her five children (Matthew, Katy, Natasha, Robert and Cera), three grandchildren (Claire, Alec and Willa), mother (Marion Hopps), siblings and many, many friends. Rosemarie was predeceased by her father (John Hopps).

A celebration of life will be held in the future once we can all be together again. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Young People's Opera Society of BC.

It will be impossible to replace her but we all hope to be a bit better because of her.