Dr. Rose A. Cooper https://www.csi-net.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1179412 Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:56:50 GMT Fri, 18 Dec 2015 00:13:43 GMT Copyright © 2015 Chi Sigma Iota Dr. Rose A. Cooper https://www.csi-net.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1179412 https://www.csi-net.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1179412  

Dr. Rose A. Cooper, CSI President 1991-1992, Life Member

Dr. Cooper, a 56-year resident of White Plains, NY, died at home on December 4, 2015 at the age of 96 following a brief illness. Dr. Cooper was born in Poland and at age 12 emigrated to New York City in the early 1930s with her family who sensed the looming threat of Nazi Germany. She met her late husband, Dr. Ira Cooper, at the City College of New York and settled in White Plains several years after obtaining her doctorate in education at Columbia University. She had a long tenure as the college admissions counselor at White Plains High School before embarking on an equally long stint as a dean at the Westchester Community College. She was also a past president of the American Association of Counseling and Development. Her career as an educator, touching the lives of countless young people, only came to an end upon her retirement a few months prior to her death. Dr. Cooper is survived by a daughter, Dr. Gale Cooper of Albuquerque, New Mexico, a son, Dr. Glenn Cooper, of Sarasota, Florida, his wife, Tessa Cooper, and their son, Shane Cooper. In addition, she is survived by her sister, Ann Kaplan of New York City, who was also her best friend.

There will be a reception at 7-9pm Wednesday, December 9, at the Ballard- Durand Funeral Home, 2 Maple Ave., White Plains. The funeral service will be held Thursday, December 10 at 9:30am at Congregation Kol Ami, 252 Soundview Ave, White Plains, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to the Westchester Community College Foundation, Hartford Hall, 75 Grasslands Rd, Valhalla, NY 10595. See more at www.legacy.com.

If you would like to make a donation to CSI in memory of Dr. Cooper, you can contribute to CSI’s General Fund.

Originally published in The New York Times on December 6, 2015.

Originally published at csi-net.org on December 10, 2015.

 

]]> Thu, 10 Dec 2015 14:10:00 GMT https://www.csi-net.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1179481 https://www.csi-net.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1179481 A Tribute to Dr. Rose Cooper,
Sixth President of CSI, 1991-92,
Life Member #50
Died, December 4, 2015

How simply these facts seem to say that in CSI’s early history members stepped forward to serve.  Indeed that is true, just as it is today! However, this is certainly not the whole story. Dr. Myers and I were privileged to be among Dr. Cooper’s lifelong friends. She had many!

She was a gourmet cook, wonderful host, fashion plate dresser, generous donor, and avid advocate for professional counseling.

There has been only one "Rose” among ACA leaders.  It would take a book to capture even some of her uniqueness. She had a sense of humor that tickled everyone’s funny bone. She didn’t need prepared jokes, she made them up in vivo as she went along! She could make serious topics light. Yet, her wise counsel came through as serious.

On the light side (pun intended), she referred to herself as the "Dean of the Dark” as Westchester Community College’s night school dean for many years until recently. But make no mistake, when she was in her professional mode, she was all business. So it surprised me before I knew her well that when as president of American Counseling and Development Association (AACD/ACA), she became CSI member #50 in front of a distinguished audience.

I attended the AACD Governing Council meeting to announce the creation and mission of our new professional counselors’ honor society.  As I finished my report, Rose leapt to her feet and said, "I want to be a member, will you take a check?” So she wrote her check while the meeting went on with its business and she came to hand it to me.  But she wasn’t done supporting CSI.

After finishing her term as AACD President, she was asked to run for the CSI Executive Council. As it turned out, she lost the election to a graduate student from Alabama! I got to be the one to call and tell her.  As diplomatically as possible, I broke the news. Before I could think of what more to say, Rose interrupted the moment and said, "So what else can I do to help CSI?”!!

For several years, she became the leadership fellow advisor and leadership conference workshop presenter. Her leadership workshop handouts for fellows grew each year until we had to have them professionally bound in a booklet!

Ever after, Rose was the one’s whose leadership training set the bar - the one to try matching.

So we move forward again this season without the light of one who helped to show the way to professional pride, service to others, and an abiding sense of servant leadership. I think Rose would say, "get on with it” but with a glint in her eye that said she knew it wasn’t always easy. She’d also say, when you are doing what you do for the right reasons, every obstacle can be overcome. And that’s how new leaders emerge! We miss Rose already but I firmly believe that her spirit lives on in those who follow in her footsteps.

- Tom Sweeney, Admirer and Devoted Friend of Rose Cooper ]]> Thu, 10 Dec 2015 16:41:16 GMT https://www.csi-net.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1181950 https://www.csi-net.org/forums/posts.aspx?topic=1181950 I offer my deepest sympathy and condolences to Dr. Rose Cooper family and CSI members. Well done ,Dr. Cooper,a life well lived. I endorsed what Tom Sweeney mentioned in the above tribute that her spirit lives on.

Murween Rose

Member]]> Fri, 18 Dec 2015 01:13:43 GMT