Robert Cooper was born in Los Angeles to Linda Lou Cooper and Robert Henspert Cooper, II. He grew up in California and received his Associate of Arts degree from Cerritos College.
His outgoing personality made him a natural for sales, and he worked as a real estate agent and property manager. He was so successful that he soon purchased a condo which he took pride in decorating. He was also skilled with computers, and worked in IT.
After he met Hans Anderson and they moved to Portland in 2012, Robert worked again in property management––among his favorite jobs, he said. One of his last positions was at Alder House Apartments, a transitional development for houseless people. He enjoyed the tenants and had great rapport with them.
In researching his genealogy, Robert was thrilled to discover that he had Quaker ancestors, and that he was related to people in Multnomah Meeting. He fell in love with Quakerism during a visit to an unprogrammed Meeting in California, and in Multnomah Friends Meeting, he found his spiritual community.
Robert cared deeply about the suffering of the Palestinian people. He worked closely with American Friends Service Committee and Jewish Voice for Peace and was a founding member of Quaker Palestine Israel Network–Multnomah. A supporter of Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israel, he favored a three-state solution.
Many of his spiritual ideas came from the Quaker author Rufus Jones whose “Studies in Mystical Religion” he especially cherished. He wrote poems, many about his mystical experiences, and shared them in Multnomah Meeting's poetry group.
His gentle, sensitive side was evident in his fondness for cats. Last year he rescued a pregnant feral cat and raised her six kittens. Enlisting the help of friends in Meeting, he found homes for them all.
Robert was a complex person known for his intelligence, his convictions, and his persistence, “He knew a lot,” said one Meeting member. “He showed up at rallies and meetings. He was unapologetically outspoken and challenging.”
He is survived by his sister, Denise Worth, several nieces and nephews, and a host of friends.