OXFORD — Charles “Charlie” Morris Cooper, 67, died Sunday, April 17, 2016, at his home in Oxford. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at the Oxford Church of Christ with Dr. Bob Brewer and Chuck Cooper officiating. Interment will be in Eastover Cemetery. Visitation will be today from 5-7 p.m. at Coleman Funeral Home, which is in charge of arrangements.

He had lived in the Oxford area since 1971 when he came to work at the USDA Laboratory. He was a supervisory ecologist having been the first ecologist hired by the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Having served 30 years with USDA-ARS, beginning as a post-doctoral researcher, he conducted environmental/conservation research in Mississippi for the last 30 years, beginning as a graduate student at the University of Mississippi.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Rita L. Cooper Brewer.

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He is survived by his wife, Judy Coffman Cooper of Oxford; son Charles Taylor “Chuck” Cooper of Jackson, Tennessee; daughter Kimberly Cooper Wilson of Houston, Texas; sisters Paula Olbricht of Thayer, Missouri and Lisa Adams of Oxford; three grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to The Nature Conservancy, ATTN: Treasury, 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203; Oxford Church of Christ (Haiti Missions) P.O. Box 1500, Oxford, MS 38655; or Christian Relief Fund, P.O. Box 19670, Amarillo, TX 79114-1670.

To view or sign an online guestbook, visit the tribute wall at www.colemanfuneralhome.com.