William Saunders Cooper

William Saunders Cooper, 34, of Charleston, SC, died Monday, May 16, 2016, of cystic fibrosis. The relatives and friends of Catherine McLoud and David Cooper are invited to attend the Memorial Service for their son Will at 2:00 PM, Thursday, May 19, 2016, at James Island Presbyterian Church, 1632 Ft. Johnson Road, Charleston, SC. A reception will follow at the church. Will was born February 3, 1982, in Atlanta, GA, to Catherine McLoud and David Cooper. He attended Westminster School in Atlanta and graduated from high school at Woodberry Forest School in Woodberry Forest, VA. will graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2010, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. "Coop" , as his friends called him, treasured his friends and his memories at all of these schools. Will is survived by his mother, Catherine Cameron Cooper McLoud of Charleston, SC, and his father, David Saunders Cooper of Atlanta, GA. He is also survived by his aunts, Chris Cameron (Harold) Noland of Charleston, S.C. , Connie Cameron (Mac) Leppard of Columbia, S.C., and his uncles, William James (Pat) Cooper, Jr. of Baton Rouge, LA, James Mayes Cooper (Nell) of East Glacier Park MT, and Hugh McCutchen (Louise) Cooper of Columbia, his cousins, William James (Hadley) Cooper III, Holmes Michael (Angela) Cooper, William McIver (Sunny) Leppard, and Cameron Leppard (Jim) Kluttz, step-sister Anne McLoud Crenshaw (daughters Price and Maggie), and step-brothers Robert Donald (Diana and sons Austin and William) McLoud, James Lee (Ashley, daughters Eleanor and Murray and son Watson) McLoud, David Davis (Julie Song and daughters Caroline, Frances, and Martha) Smyth, Tyler (Michelle, son Samuel, and daughter Curry) Smyth, and Gatsby, his faithful dog. He is predeceased by his grandparents William Ennis and Catherine McLeod Cameron and William James and Mamie Mayes Cooper. Will was a fighter all his life. He was an incredible young athlete and was lead off batter for his baseball team, safety on his football team, competitive member of the squash team, and a 5 handicap player on his golf team at Woodberry Forest. Everyone knew that Will was an LSU football fanatic. He loved the Tigers and even cooked Cajun food to eat during the games to give them good luck. He loved to cook and to share his delicious creative dishes with friends and family. He was blessed to have the most excellent, compassionate, and well-respected team of professionals at the Cystic Fibrosis Center at MUSC caring for him over the years, and the family thanks Patrick Flume, Sue Gray and all of the other members of the team for their love and their special care. We thank all of the MUSC Hospital 8th Floor East and MICU professionals for the care that they extended to Will and appreciate their sincere dedication and compassion. We also thank the entire CF community, a true family of dear friends, who have made great strides toward the control and cure of the disease, as well as a firm commitment not to rest until a cure is found for all people with cystic fibrosis. They have been by our side since Will was diagnosed and hold a special place in our hearts. Donations in his memory may be sent to The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 6931 Arlington Road, Bethesda, M.D. 20814.