Cooper H. Wayman

Cooper H. Wayman passed away peacefully on January 10, 2016 at the age of 88. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Ruth Wayman; daughter, Carol Beth Withers, both of Westminster, CO; sister, Judy Homa of Clinton Corners NY; grandchildren, Nick Withers of Golden CO, and Lyle and Cooper Daschbach of Arvada, CO. Preceded in death by his brother, Harry, and his daughter, Andrea (Andi) Wayman Daschbach. Cooper was born to Cooper and Helen Wayman on January 29, 1927 in Trenton, New Jersey. Cooper attended public school and played saxophone in local dance bands prior to joining the Navy at 17. Upon finishing his tour with the Navy, Cooper attended Rutgers University where he studied geology. Ruth and Cooper met in college and married shortly after they both graduated in 1951. After a short stint as a geologist in Texas, Cooper took a position as a Research Scientist with U.S. Steel in Pittsburgh. Demonstrating a lifelong dedication to personal education, Cooper attended both the U. of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon, earning M.S. degrees in metallurgy and chemistry. Cooper and Ruth moved to Boston where he did graduate work in chemistry at MIT. He completed his Ph.D. in chemistry at Michigan State University. He took a position with the U.S. Geological Survey in Denver CO in 1960. In 1965 Cooper was appointed as Associate Professor of Chemistry at Colorado School of Mines, where he taught and did research. Cooper then attended law school at the University of Denver, receiving his J.D. in 1972. Cooper subsequently worked as legal counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Denver and Dallas. During this period he also taught law classes at University of Denver. In 1987 Cooper took a position with Chemical Waste Management, moving to the gulf coast of Texas. Cooper worked as Chief Counsel for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Project (WIPP) in Carlsbad NM in 1994. From 1999 to 2004 Cooper worked for DOE in Grand Junction CO and retired from the DOE in 2004 at age 76. He and Ruth then moved back to Denver. Cooper had a lifelong interest in learning, continuing to read in science and the law through his life. As a saxophone player, Cooper enjoyed a lifelong love of classic jazz music and even played saxophone with his grandson, Lyle, at a school concert in 2013. In addition to his interest in science and the law, Cooper enjoyed reading. He was an avid sports fan regularly watching the Denver teams, with season tickets to the Broncos for many years. Cooper was a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather, and he will be missed by his family. No services are currently planned. A memorial celebration honoring Cooper will be held later this year. Please share your memories and condolences with his family by signing the guest book below.