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Vivian Fair Cooper, of Johnson City, the daughter of the late Clarence and Kathryn Kail Fair, passed away Monday, November 25, 2024, at her residence following an illness of several months. Vivian was born January 10, 1942, in Elizabethton where she resided until she graduated from Elizabethton High School in 1959. Vivian earned a BA degree at the University of Tennessee and MA degree from East Tennessee State University. Post graduate studies were done at Universidad International in Saltillo, Mexico and the University of Virginia.

Vivian was an avid worker and enjoyed having many different jobs, but she spent most of her career as an educator, beginning at Knox South, and soon afterwards teaching at Fayetteville High School in North Carolina. After returning to Tennessee, she taught at Happy Valley High School, Central Elementary, Hampton High School and Elizabethton High School from where she retired as Assistant Principal. Vivian was an incredible teacher. Elizabethton City Schools honored her as teacher of the year in 1983 and 1985. Vivian also supervised Adult Education Evening School for Elizabethton City Schools. In addition to being an educator, she was a licensed insurance agent and funeral director. Following her retirement as an educator she worked for Tetrick Funeral Home in Elizabethton and Johnson City where she served as co-manager till her second retirement. After her retirement, Vivian and her husband, Gary, traveled extensively all over the United States in their RV often camping on Military Posts. 

Vivian will always be remembered for her kind and caring heart and the impact she had on others. She and Gary were married in 1990 at Cornerstone Church where they were members. 

All the members of her family were an essential part of her life and she always cherished the time she spent with them.

Survivors include her beloved husband, Gary Cooper; a sister, Martha Laws (Dan) of Piney Flats; niece, Wendy Laws Bradford (Donnie) of Jonesborough; nephew, Daniel Laws of Surgoinsville; two great-nephews, Alex Bradford (Eve) of Johnson City and Cooper Laws of Surgoinsville; a great-niece, Hattie Bradford of Jonesborough; two stepsons, Brian Cooper (Carissa) of Kingston, Tenn., and Neal Cooper (Erin) of Wilmington, N.C., and their children, Scarlett and Eva Cooper of Kingston and Nolan Cooper and Penelope Parrish of Wilmington, N.C. Many beloved cousins also survive. 

A service to celebrate the life of Vivian Fair Cooper will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, November 30, in the Chapel of Peace of Tetrick Funeral Home, Elizabethton, with The Rev. Dr. Barry Burns officiating. Music will be under the direction of Jerry Pierce, soloist, and Libby Hatcher, organist. The committal and interment service will be in the Garden of Gethsemane at Happy Valley Memorial Park. Active pallbearers will be Brian Cooper, Neal Cooper, Alex Bradford, Daniel Laws IV, Cooper Laws and Fletcher Bradford. The family will receive friends from 10:30 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. in the chapel of the funeral home. Those wishing to honor Vivian’s life with a donation may give to The Cornerstone Church, 120 Cornerstone Drive, Johnson City, TN 37615, or the Building Fund of Valley Forge United Methodist Church, 3974 Highway 19E, Elizabethton, TN 37643. Words of sympathy may be shared with the family by visiting our website, www.tetrickfuneralhome.com.

Tetrick Funeral Home of Elizabethton is honored to serve the family of Mrs. Vivian Fair Cooper. Office Phone: (423) 542-2232