Katherine (Kathy) Kay Cooper

Kathy was born on January 2, 1963 to Larry Dean Cooper and Elizabeth Marie Green.

Kathy found joy in the simple, everyday things she loved. She enjoyed coloring, NASCAR races, four-wheeling through the mud, spending time outdoors, gardening, doing yard work, and tending to all the plants and flowers she started—although she didn't always manage to keep them alive! She loved staying busy and always having something to put her time and energy into.

She also enjoyed cooking her signature meals and watching others enjoy them. And that fried chicken… now, that was something special!

Kathy's love of people and conversation made her a popular woman wherever she went. She had a way of bringing laughter into any conversation and making connections with those around her. Her easygoing nature and sense of humor left an impression on everyone fortunate enough to know her.

Whenever her grandchildren were mentioned, she would light up like a star. And when her great-grandchildren were brought up, her heart seemed to melt. They brought her a kind of happiness that words could hardly express, and her love for them was undeniable.

A deeply moving reminder that, even after a marriage ends, the love, commitment, and promises once shared can leave an enduring bond. Frank’s presence in her final days was perhaps an unspoken expression of those vows—a quiet act of compassion, loyalty, and love that transcended the end of their marriage. Some promises, it seems, live on in ways words never could.

Kathy's memory will live on through the people who knew and loved her, through the meals that remind them of her, and through the flowers that will forever bring her to mind. She will be remembered for the laughter she brought to every conversation, the sparkle in her blue eyes (if you know you know), and the many moments that became treasured memories.

Her family will carry pieces of her with them always—in the laughter they had and the moments they shared in her final days, with her kids right by her side until the end.

Kathy was preceded in death by her aunt, Stephanie Butterton, and her uncle, David Butterton.

She is survived by her sons, Frankie Duran IV, Jordan Duran, and Ryan Duran, as well as her daughters, Jacqueline R. Duran (Jackie), Tailer J. Dierick, and Hailee Lang. She also leaves behind her brother, Chuck Blacketer, and her sisters, Joanie Byington and Angela Marcoff. Her legacy further lives on through her seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.