Springhill, Louisiana — Dr. Patrick Brooks Cooper, a lifelong champion for children with disabilities and educational reform, died peacefully at home on January 8 surrounded by family after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 76.
Cooper served as superintendent in West Feliciana Parish, McComb, Mississippi, and Lafayette, Louisiana. He championed educating "the whole child" from birth through career or college, implementing Birth-to-Five programs, teen parenting centers, on-campus daycare and integrated mental health services.
Here's the full obituary:
Springhill, LA - Dr. Patrick Brooks Cooper passed away on January 8, 2026, peacefully at home and surrounded by family after a two-year battle with cancer. He was born March 11, 1949, in Minden, Louisiana, and raised in Springhill.
Pat earned his Bachelor of Science, Master of Education, and Specialist of Education degrees from Louisiana State University, and completed his Doctorate of Education at the University of Northern Colorado.
Pat lived a life of uncommon purpose, guided by faith, humor, and a fierce belief that the most vulnerable among us deserve joyful and unwavering advocacy. A lifelong champion of underdogs, his attention was always drawn to those most often overlooked—children with disabilities, families in crisis, and young people navigating systems that failed to see their full humanity.
His career began teaching children with emotional and behavioral disabilities at the Blundon Home in Baton Rouge, where he showed a rare ability to see possibility where others saw only problems. He went on to supervise student teachers at Southern University and LSU, before joining the Louisiana State Department of Education. There, he served in multiple leadership roles, including Assistant Superintendent for the Office of Special Education, becoming a powerful advocate for children and families with special needs.
Pat later returned to LSU as Executive Assistant to Chancellor Wharton, where he worked on academic initiatives and—much to his delight—served as liaison to the LSU Athletic Department, securing legendary 50-yard-line tickets treasured by friends and family for decades.
The fullest expression of Pat's vision came during his years as Superintendent of Schools in West Feliciana Parish, McComb, MS, and Lafayette, LA He believed deeply in educating the whole child—from birth through career or college—and led districts to implement Birth-to-Five programs, teen parenting centers, on-campus daycare, and integrated mental health services. In West Feliciana Parish, he helped create the state's first fully integrated school health model operated by a school district.
During his tenure in McComb every school was renovated or rebuilt, graduation rates rose from 75% to 90%, and juvenile crime dropped by 70%. Pat also challenged communities to confront racial and economic divides honestly, believing progress required truth and reconciliation.
His innovative use of public and private funding led to national work in Washington, DC with the National School Health Education Coalition, where he testified before Congress on early childhood education and systemic reform. After Hurricane Katrina, Pat returned to New Orleans to help create the Mahalia Jackson Early Childhood and Family Learning Center, a groundbreaking hub providing coordinated services for families with dignity and care.
Though he authored numerous publications and consulted in more than 45 states, accolades never mattered to Pat. What mattered were the children steadied, the families seen, and the educators inspired to teach with rigor and compassion.
Beyond his work, Pat was a devout Catholic with a legendary sense of humor. He loved his family fiercely, delighted in movies, and remained forever loyal to Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan. He could make a room laugh as easily as he could make it think.
Pat was preceded in death by his parents, Ellis and Ione Cooper; siblings Mike Cooper, Ellis Cooper, and Crin Del Henry; and nephews Alex Cooper and Kelly O'Neal. He is survived by his daughters, Brooke Pickett Lindhout (Joris) and Kelly Pickett-Gutierrez (Blas Isasi), their mother Susan Mayo Cooper, and his grandsons, Juno Pickett Lindhout and Alfie Pickett-Gutierrez. He is also survived by his siblings Nancy Oliver (Saul), Steve Cooper (Debbie), and Donald Cooper (Anita), along with many beloved nieces, nephews, and grand-nieces and nephews.
To honor Pat's legacy, donations may be made to Zero to Three, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, or the Southern Poverty Law Center.
A Mass will be held at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Minden, Louisiana, on Saturday, January 24, at 11:00 a.m.
