Funeral Mass for Gerald "Gerry" Cooper will be celebrated by Fr. James LeBlanc at 2pm on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church, Aiken, SC. Interment, with military honors will follow at Calvary Cemetery, Aiken. Pallbearers will be Richard Proto, Jim Busbee, Steve Busbee, Clint Busbee, Chad Busbee and Brandon Busbee. Honorary pallbearers will be the members of the St. Mary's Men's Prayer Group and the members of the Cursillo Prayer Group. The family will receive friends at George Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Inc. 211 Park Ave. SW Aiken on Tuesday, January 26, 2010, from 12pm until 1:30pm. Memorial donations may be directed to the St. Mary Help of Christians Church Building Fund, PO Box 438 Aiken, SC 29802 or to the Aiken County SPCA, 411 Wire Rd. Aiken, SC 29801. Mr. Cooper, 78, of Aiken, died Friday, January 22, 2010 at Aiken Regional Medical Centers. Born in Greenville, he was a son of the late Clarence Broadus Cooper and Lula Craft Cooper. Gerry retired in 1993 as a power technician at the Savannah River Site after having worked for The DuPont Corporation for over forty years. A U. S. Army veteran, Gerry served between WW II and The Korean Conflict. Gerry was a communicant of St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church and was a charter member of the "Monday Morning, Men's Prayer Group". He also volunteered in many capacities at the church. He was a supporter of Scouting and had been a Cub Master and Scout Master for Troop 110 in Aiken. He was a charter member of the Aiken Optimist Club and also had been a member of the Aiken Jaycees at which he had been the sponsor for Miss Nancy Moore Thurmond when she was named Miss Aiken County. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by two brothers, Herbert Cooper and Wilbur Cooper and a stepson, Robert Busbee. He is survived by his wife, Rosie Hubbard Cooper, Aiken, a step-daughter; Carrolanne Richard Proto, Graniteville; two step-sons; Jim Michelle Busbee, North Augusta, SC and Steve Debbie Busbee, Aiken; a brother; Wayne Cooper, Greer, SC and three sisters; Margaret Carey Sightler, Pendleton, SC, Frances Perdue Edwards, Simpsonville, SC and Jean Bob White, Evansville, IN. He is also survived by six step grandchildren, seven step great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews.