Maxine Cooper

Maxine (Parrott) Cooper, 86, of Columbus, Georgia, passed away on July 31, 2026. She was a cherished wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. She will be deeply missed.

Maxine was born in Norton, Virginia on January 22, 1940, to Paul and Hattie Parrott, the third of four sisters. She married Air Force Master Sergeant Hugh Cooper on December 23, 1961, in Wise, Virginia. They would go on to live in Oklahoma, Alaska, Las Vegas, and New Mexico before settling in Columbus, Georgia. She dedicated her life to her family and she loved gardening, card games, going to bingo, and playing the lottery. She was an excellent cook and her biscuits and gravy were unmatched.

Maxine was preceded in death by her father, Paul Marshall Parrott; mother, Hattie Edith (Dean) Parrott; sister, Henrietta (Parrott) Leonard; sister, Ellen Louise Parrott; sister, Nixola "Nickey" (Parrott) Johnson; niece, Diana L. Leonard; and a beloved, protective poodle, Priscilla. 

Maxine is survived by her husband, Hugh Cooper, of Columbus, Georgia; daughter, Sherry (Cooper) Darnstaedt and her husband Steve of Savannah, Georgia; granddaughter, Samantha Mattern and her husband Derek Rocco, of Ann Arbor, Michigan; niece, Deborah (Leonard) Liles (Thomas); nephew, Kenneth P. Leonard (Karen); niece, Donna (Leonard) Omernik (Gregory), and nephew David N. Leonard.

There will not be a funeral. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Maxine's memory to the American Humane Society.