Mr. William Prentice Cooper

Born January 1 ,1952, William Prentice Cooper III was the eldest son of the late three-term governor of Tennessee, Prentice Cooper, and his wife, Hortense Hayes Powell Cooper. William is survived by his two brothers, 16-term U.S. congressman, Jim Cooper (Mary Falls) and the ninth Mayor of Metro Nashville, John Cooper (Laura Fitzgerald), and five first cousins, Dr. Whitson Lowe (Sandy) and J.P. Lowe (Wendall) of Nashville, and the Hon. Florence Powell, Margaret Ann Powell, and Ferdinand Powell, III, of southwest, Virginia. William had one niece, Mary Gallisdorfer (Scott), and five nephews, Jamie, Hayes, John Powell, McGavock, and Crockett Cooper. He also had one great nephew and niece, Jay and Martha Gallisdorfer. William passed away on Christmas Eve, 2024. An Eagle Scout, William completed the seventh grade at Madison Street Junior High School in Shelbyville, Tennessee, in 1965, before attending and graduating magna cum laude from Groton School in Massachusetts in 1970. In 1974 he graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University. In 1976, after completing a preparatory course at Cambridge University, he received a special English-speaking summer school diploma from the Institute of State and Law in Warsaw, Poland. In 1977 he graduated from Vanderbilt Law School. He was admitted to the bar in Tennessee, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. He practiced law in Washington and Nashville and subsequently became a real estate developer for 40 years in Nashville and Brentwood. He was a member of the ECON Club, formerly the Exchange Club of Nashville. He was a descendent of James Robertson, one of the founders of Nashville, and Adelicia Acklen, who built Belmont Mansion at Belmont University. His marriage to Mary Palmer Kelley ended in divorce. The family thanks Sandra Mathers, St. Thomas Hospital and Alive Hospice for their compassionate caregiving. William was an avid rose gardener who would always share his best blooms with his family and friends. He was an avid collector of coins, stamps, trains and art as well as a loyal, devoted and energetic uncle. He wrote a respected book of theology and was known as a deep thinker who cared deeply about ideas. He was strong in his beliefs and even stronger in his loyalties. Funeral to be held at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 4715 Harding Pike, Nashville, on Saturday, January 4 th at 11 am. The funeral will be preceded by a visitation from 10 am to 11 am at St George’s on January 4 th . There will be a graveside service at Jenkins Lutheran Chapel, 399 Shofner Bridge Rd., Shelbyville, TN at 3 pm on Saturday, January 4th. Feldhaus Memorial Chapel of Shelbyville is in charge of the funeral arrangements. The family encourages any memorial donations in William’s memory to be made to St. George’s Church where William was an active Sunday School member for many years or to Alive Hospice.

Mr. William Prentice Cooper

January 1, 1952 - December 24, 2024