Dr. Lamar E. Cooper, Sr.'s Obituary
Dr. Lamar Eugene Cooper, Sr., 80, of Denton, Texas, peacefully opened his eyes and saw his precious Lord and Savior, whose Word he faithfully taught, on Saturday, June 18, 2022, at home. Dr. Cooper was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 8, 1942, to Hazel Heughan and Irwin Nelson Cooper, Sr.
In 1941, Dr. Cooper answered the invitation of his Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church of Jena, La. to trust Jesus Christ as his Savior. Following his surrender to the Lord’s call to ministry in 1956 at youth camp at Glorieta, New Mexico, he preached his first sermon–on Psalm 27–at FBC Jena.
After graduating from Louisiana College in 1963 with a Bible major and psychology minor, Dr. Cooper earned Th.M. and Th.D. degrees from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He also completed summer studies in archaeology at Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University, and received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Criswell College.
Dr. Cooper pastored churches in Louisiana and Texas before joining the faculty of Criswell College in 1978 as a professor of Hebrew and Old Testament. During his 33 years at Criswell, he was instrumental in getting the college regionally accredited. He served as Criswell’s dean of graduate studies from 1980-89 and was executive vice president and provost from 1977-2012. He was also interim president twice during key periods of the college’s history and was named graduate dean emeritus in 2011.
Between stints at Criswell, he served at the Christian Life Commission (now Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission) of the Southern Baptist Convention and as vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 2012, he retired from administration and went back to the classroom full-time at Criswell.
Dr. Cooper participated in his first archaeological excavation in Israel at Tel Be’er Sheva in 1969. He also worked at Yoqune’an, Sepphoris, the Temple Mount Salvage Project, and Qumran.
His published works include Ezekiel in the New American Commentary series. He was a contributing editor of The Believer’s Study Bible and Criswell Study Bible and provided commentary and notes for The Apologetics Study Bible and The Message.
Dr. Cooper loved God’s Word. He devoted his life to studying, memorizing, and teaching Scripture. He often challenged people to memorize Scripture by saying, “You can’t REmember until you member.”
He was a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Dallas, where he served as class minister, theologian in residence, and teacher of the Criswell Bible Class, which was broadcast on radio station KCBI.
Dr. Cooper married his sweetheart, Barbara Ann Agent, in 1963. He greatly loved spending time with and cooking for his family and traveling, especially to Israel. In 2007, he married Diana Owen, and they were blessed to enjoy his later years together.
Dr. Cooper was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Irwin “Sonny” Cooper, Jr., and Edward “Buddy” Cooper, Sr.; and his wife of 43 years, Barbara Cooper. He is survived by his wife of 15 years, Diana Cooper; his four children: Lamar (Kristi) Cooper, Jr., Stephen (Cheryl) Cooper, Ruth (Tony) Strayer, and Christopher Cooper; and six grandchildren: Elizabeth Cooper, Sarah (James) Ewing, Jonathan Cooper, Rachelle (Peter) Walker, Abby Strayer, and Ethan Strayer. He is also survived by father- and mother-in-law Roy and Linda Owen; sisters-in-law Carol Cooper, Dana (Jason) Schanot, Amy (Mitch) Shaw, Becky (Micah) Baldwin; brothers-in-law James Agent, Paul (Mary) Agent, Sidney (Rainey) Agent; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be Thursday, June 23, from 6-8 p.m. at Restland Funeral Home, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75243. A celebration of life service will be held Friday, June 24, at 10 a.m. in Ruth Chapel at Criswell College, 4010 Gaston Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75246, with interment to follow at Restland.
In lieu of flowers, friends and family who so wish may honor Dr. Cooper’s life by giving to Criswell College or Guidestone’s Mission: Dignity.
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