Allison B. Cooper, Sr., 86, of Derry, NH, died Thursday, May 7, 2009 in the Pleasant Valley Nursing Center, Derry. Mr. Cooper was born in New Brunswick, Canada on February 26, 1923, a son of the late John and Margaret (Gillis) Cooper. He was a resident of Derry for the past 39 years, formerly living in Cambridge, MA. He served with the U.S. Army during WWII. Mr. Cooper founded ABC Machine Shop in Arlington, MA, moved it to Amherst, NH and then finally to Derry in 1970. He worked at his machine shop until he was 84 years old. He was a member of AA, which was very important to him and was a big part of his life, so much so that he was known as "Mr. AA." Mr. Cooper enjoyed taking his family camping, spending many summers in NH by Newfound Lake. He also enjoyed horse racing, attending races at Rockingham Park and Saratoga Springs, NY. He was just a real good guy.
He is survived by four children; a son, Kenneth Cooper, a daughter, Alice Spinney of Largo, FL, a son, Allison B. Cooper, Jr. of Largo, FL, a daughter, Margaret Tate of Hebron, NH, nine grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, his angel, Joanne Cura of Townsend, MA and also by nieces, nephews and many, many friends. He was predeceased by his wife, Emily (Rodway) Cooper in 2000, his son, Phillip Cooper in 1987, two brothers, George and John Cooper, and his granddaughter, Lori Taverna.
Visiting hours were held on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 from 5-8pm in the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 15 Birch St., Derry with cremation that followed. A private family prayer service will be held. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, VA 22312 or to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (national headquarters), 6931 Arlington Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20814.