- Messages
- 704
- Reaction score
- 61
- Location
- Winston, Georgia, United States
- # of dives
- I just don't log dives
It is with a heavy heart that I say goodbye to my friend and mentor John Cooper. He passed away October 13, 2015 from causes unknown. His impact on my life cannot be measured. He is the reason that I was introduced to cave diving. He is the reason I am an Instructor and subsequently became a Course Director. He is the reason that the divers I have certified are certified. In the early days I would spend hours in the dive shop with Coop as he showed me how to service equipment and fill tanks. He would teach me so much about not only the physical aspect of diving but more importantly the mental aspect of diving. He came by my parents house in Macon to meet my folks and reassure them that I was in good hands. He and I would talk for hours about his early life as an athlete, his life as an engineer, and his diving around the world. He LOVED teaching and helped me to understand how to teach better. He was compassionate, energetic, and firm in his beliefs. I am honored to have known him and to have called him my friend. I will miss him but I know I am a better person for having known him. Rest well my friend. You have earned it.
