Obituary of Viola Maxine Cooper

July 24, 1935 – March 9, 2024

Viola “Maxine” Cooper, 88, passed away peacefully in her sleep on the morning of Saturday, March 9, 2024.

A daughter of the late Ralph Tyler Hilty and Bertha Mae (Smail) Hilty of Ford City, PA, she was born on July 24, 1935, in Armstrong County, PA.  

Maxine retired from Gibraltar School District after more than 25 years of dedicated service.  She enjoyed cooking, family gatherings, singing, solving puzzles, coloring beautiful pictures, spending time with grandchildren and great-grandson, and traveling to her hometown in Pennsylvania to visit her siblings and their families.  Maxine cared deeply for her family and kept in touch through cards and letters.

Maxine is survived by her four daughters, Theresa Cooper-Schmidt (late Gary), Mary McKay (Alan), Susan Cooper-Lustig (late Warren) and Sandra Pettengill (Robert); nine grandchildren, Steven McKay (fiancé Amber), Kenneth “Fisher” Cooper, Melissa Hale (Jeremy), Richard Yates, Curtis Lorentz, Matthew Schmidt, Scott Schmidt, Robert “Bobby” Pettengill, and Kelsey Pettengill; two step-grandchildren, Ryan Mahoney (Kayla) and Cassandra Wallace (Kevin); one great-grandchild, Noah Hale; a brother, George Hilty (Evelyn); two sisters, Ruth Montgomery (Bill) and Rose Debnar (Emil); sister-in-law Andrea Ehrman, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Curtis “Laird” Cooper in October 1982; four brothers, William (Alice), Wayne, Ronald, and Ralph Jr.

Friends will be welcomed by her family on Saturday, March 16, 2024 from 2 PM to 8 PM with service beginning at 7 PM at R. J. Nixon Funeral Home at 2544 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte, MI 48192.

In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Maxine may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.