Obituary of Leslie Van Wagoner Cooper

Leslie Van Wagoner Cooper, born April 4, 1922 in Paterson, NJ. His Father Irving B. Cooper, son of Everett Abbott Cooper who was the Founder of The Paterson Vehicle Co., manufacturers of the Silk City Diners, and his mother Sarah Merselis Van Wagoner, daughter of Leslie Van Wagoner, president of Cleveland Hardware Co., and grand-daughter of Edo Merselis, president of Paterson Savings Bank. He was a direct descendant of Claes Jansen Cuyper who, in 1655, settled in Bayonne as a prosperous land owner from Purmerandt Holland who contributed significantly to the areas growth. Leslie attended Grammar School in Paterson and Ramsey High School. After graduation in 1939, Leslie was employed with NJ Bell. In August 1942 after war was declared, he enlisted in the Army Signal Corps. After 18 months training at Fort Monmouth, NJ, he was commissioned a 2nd Lt. and assigned to the 3112th Signal Service Battalion. Their unit was sent to the European Theater in May 1944 and participated in five campaigns from "D" day at Normandy, Northern France. The Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes, and the Rhineland. His company was awarded the "Croix De Guerre" decoration from France. He was discharged in February 1946 as 1st Lt. He rejoined the Bell System and continued his college education attending the American Institute of Banking, Newark College of Engineering, and Rutgers University receiving a BS and MBA from New York University in Finance and Personnel. Leslie had over 42 years' service with AT&T (NJ Bell, Western Electric and Bell Labs (Lucent Technologies) in various positions and retired in 1984 as Financial Statistic Supervisor with Bell Laboratories. In November 1949, he married the former Virginia Marron at the Ridgewood Country Club. Her Family pioneered in home oil in NJ with Coastal Oil Co. and Home Fuel Oil Company. They had five children, Leslie, Sally, Karen, Diane and Michael, 12 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren and have been married for 67 years. He was predeceased by his son Michael who died in an ultra-light gyrocopter plane accident in 1987. They moved from Glen Rock to Mountainside in 1965 and to Watchung in 1983. His avocations were tennis, golf, bowling and jogging, receiving over 30 awards and medals in these sports and was past member of Westfield Tennis Club and Echo Lake Country Club. He was a member of the following societies and organizations: The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America NJ, National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution #114946, The Holland Society of NY, the Rockland Historic Society, North Jersey Gun Club, Glen Rock Athletic Association, Bell Laboratories Pioneers of America, Veterans of Foreign War of the United States and Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, Knights of Columbus, Holy Name Society (Past President), New Providence Amateur Radio Club, Lector and Eucharistic Minister for St. Catharine's Church in Glen Rock and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Mountainside, and Watchung Rescue Squad. Leslie also served on the board of Directors of the Paterson Vehicle Company for many years before it's liquidation in 1966. Funeral service will held on Saturday, March 7th, 2015, at 8:30 a.m. at Higgins Home for Funerals, 752 Mountain Blvd., Watchung, NJ 07069, followed by a Mass of Resurrection at 9:30 a.m. at St. Mary's Stony Hill Church, Watchung. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery, Westfield. Visitation will be held on Friday, March 6th from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the funeral home.