Mark Cooper, 64, passed away on Friday, January 28, 2022, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa.  Funeral services will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, February 4, 2022, at the Grinnell Friends Church, Grinnell, Iowa.  Burial with military rites will be held in the Searsboro Cemetery at Searsboro, Iowa.  As a request from Mark's family, please no flowers, a memorial fund in Care of Mark Cooper has been established to help his wife, Sara.  Donations may be sent to Sara's home or via digital currencies PayPal and Venmo.  For any further questions, please contact Suzanne or Michael.  Holland-Coble Funeral Home of Montezuma is in charge of the arrangements.

Mark Grant Cooper was born on August 21, 1957, to Kenneth and Leah Newport Cooper at the Grinnell Hospital in Grinnell, Iowa.  He grew up in Searsboro and Newton  graduating from West Branch High School in 1975.  He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from 1975 to 1978.  Mark then enlisted in the U.S. Army serving from 1978 to 1987.  Mark married Sara Kwang (Yi) on June 5, 1980.  They raised their  two children, Suzanne and Michael.  Mark enlisted in the U.S. Air Force from 1998 to 2008, with enlistments in the reserves and national guard between active duty dates  retiring as a Master Sargent. He attended Grand View University and graduated magna cum laude  with a B.A. degree in 2015.  After retiring, he served as a peer support specialist for the Veteran's Administration Health Care System.

Mark loved his family very much.  He was the grandfather of three grandchildren,  enjoyed photography, hunting, fishing, his military friends, fossils, writing poems and later a book.

Mark is survived by his wife, Sara; his daughter, Suzanne of Ankeny, his son, Michael (Lindsay) of Ankeny; his grandchildren, Harper, Calvin and Norah; his siblings, Greg (Robin) of Cedar Falls, Michelle of Tucson, AZ, and Todd of Columbia, MO.

He is preceded in death by his parents,  Kenneth and  Gayle Cooper and his brother, Kenny Wayne Cooper.

A luncheon will follow the burial  at the Searsboro Community Center, 400 3 ^rd Street, Searsboro, Iowa.