Charles Steven "Steve" Cooper

Charles Steven “Steve” Cooper, 65, of Carrollton, formerly of Boonville, Missouri, passed away Sunday, October 31, 2021, at Boone Hospital Center in Columbia, Missouri.

Visitation for Steve will be held at Howard Funeral Home Friday, November 5, 2021, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

An additional visitation and funeral services will be held at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Carrollton, MO on Saturday, November 6, 2021. The visitation will be from 9:00 to 11:00 and the funeral will immediately follow.

Charles Steven Cooper was born October 5, 1956, in Carrollton, Missouri, the son of Raymond W. Cooper and Mary Buhrmester. He married Janice Gerhardt May 3, 1992. Steve worked for many years in the food retail industry across mid-Missouri where he managed, mentored, welcomed, and joked with generations of employees, friends, and community members. He taught a lot of kids (and adults) how to work, helping create work ethics in those employees and friends that live on to this day. He never missed an opportunity to offer rides to employees during snowstorms in his Jeep or take time for a practical joke or share a good story. It was often told to an employee caught standing around that, “if you’ve got time to lean, you’ve got time to clean.” He was both tough and compassionate and would be there to help you out if he could.

Outside of work, Steve was an avid hunter and fisherman. He looked forward to opening day of deer and turkey season. In the spring and summer, he loved heading to Bennett Springs to go trout fishing and camping, taking friends and family down to the cold streams and teaching them the fine art of casting a line. Later in life, he loved fishing with his grandkids off the dock at their home in the Lake of the Ozarks. He also had a deep love for classic rock music, Jeeps, motorcycles, and Dad jokes, which he shared with his brothers, sons, nephews, and numerous friends.

Most of all, Steve loved being a dad; it was his favorite title. He never missed a moment to talk about how proud he was of his son Alex. He was in the stands cheering him on at all his sporting events, hanging out with him at his fraternity at University of Central Missouri, and taking long drives to Colorado to spend time with him after he graduated college. Steve taught Alex how to be a man, taught him right from wrong, shared a ton of “Dad jokes,” and modeled what it meant to simply be a good person.

Steve was preceded in death by his father Raymond W. Cooper, Stepfather Art Buhrmester and brothers Raymond and Dana Cooper. He is survived by his mother Mary Buhrmester of Carrollton, MO; wife Janice Cooper of Brighton, CO; sons Alex Cooper of Lakewood, CO; Adam (Amy) Million of Denver, CO; and Sam (Tiffani) Million of Brighton, CO; daughter Stacy (Todd Nelson) Reuter of Lake Ozark; brother Mike Cooper of Carrollton, MO., sister-in-law, Teresa (Dana) Lococo-Cooper of Livermore, KY.; grandchildren Jaden Keller, Max Nelson, and Faith, Maddox, and Rubi Million as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Please consider making a memorial contribution to help Alex and family cover funeral expenses and other end of life costs as we come together to celebrate Steve. To make a contribution, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/steve-cooper-memorial-fund 

Online condolences may be left at: www.howardfh.com.

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