Teddy Michael Cooper

This piece is dedicated to the memory and legacy of Teddy Michael Cooper (“Mike”).

Mike was a loyal and devoted husband and father, and Papa. Together, he and his wife, Drenda, worked as the perfect team while raising their two sons, Chris and Teddy. Although strict at times, he instilled in his sons strong family values and taught them how to navigate life through even the most unforgiving circumstances. In effect, Mike was the perfect male role model.

Mike was quiet and reserved, yet his mind was always active. He was constantly planning and completing various home projects. He was an experienced self-taught handyman who mastered construction, masonry, electrical work, gardening, and investing, to name a few. Mike worked for the phone company, Southern Bell, for 26 years, often working overtime and through union strikes. No matter how much he worked, he always found time for his family and yearly garden.

He was also an avid fisherman (“winning tittles”), a skilled golfer, and a passionate boater who enjoyed navigating his Boston Whaler through the waters of Charleston and Lake Murray.

Mike was born in Columbia on July 31, 1941. He graduated from Brookland-Cayce High School, briefly attended the University of South Carolina, and was later drafted into the U.S. Army before the Vietnam War was officially declared. After his military discharge, he quickly married his soulmate, Drenda, and the rest, as they say, was beautiful history.

Mike and his family always lived near the water, from the banks of the Saluda River to a tidal creek in Charleston. He and Drenda turned both of their waterfront homes into paradise on earth. As Drenda’s health slowly deteriorated from Parkinson’s disease and later end-stage Leukemia. Mike devoted more than 20 years of his life to caring for her. His retirement plans were set aside for a far more meaningful purpose, which he carried out with great fortitude and perseverance.

When Drenda passed away two years ago, Mike’s heart was permanently broken. He longed to return to her, and now he has, passing peacefully in his sleep — just one day before what would have been their 60th wedding anniversary.

Mike is survived by his two sons, Chris (Sheila) and Teddy (Kelly); granddaughter, Emily; Grandson, Devin (Nia); and great-grandson, Silas.

The funeral service for Mike will take place on Friday, May 22, 2026 at 12:00 pm at Thompson Funeral Home, 4720 Augusta Rd. Lexington, South Carolina, with the visitation starting at 10:00 am.  A burial at Celestial Memorial Gardens will follow the funeral service.