Marcia Gayle Cooper (Adelman)
Marcia Gayle Cooper (Adelman), 73, of Overland Park, passed away peacefully at 12:16 a.m. on Dec. 20, 2020, at Kansas City Hospice House.
She was born on June 7, 1947, to Joseph and Sophia Adelman, of Kansas City, Missouri, and was the youngest child of three. She received a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and was named to Gamma Theta Epsilon, the International Geographical Honor Society. Her career highlights included positions held in membership development at public radio stations KCUR and KANU (KPR), and graduate adviser at the University of Kansas School of Business.
She was a lifelong volunteer, giving her time to local organizations including the Kansas City Symphony, Ballet and Lyric Opera; KC Blues and Jazz Festival; Mid-Continent Council of Girl Scouts; and the US-China People’s Friendship Association. In recent years, she was an organizer for the Kansas City International Dragon Boat Festival at Brush Creek.
Creative endeavors held an important role in her life. She was an accomplished essayist and songwriter, selling several songs, and completing the book, music and lyrics for a locally set blues musical. In the 1980s, her secret-formula mustard was featured at various Kansas City restaurants. She enjoyed outdoor activities such as camping, cycling and swimming. Travel brought her great joy; she visited most of the United States as well as Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom and China.
Marcia is survived by her daughters, Jenifer Kaye Cooper of Pittsburg, Kansas, and Susanna Lee Cooper of Kansas City, Missouri; her brothers, Ernest Z. Adelman of Dorsey, Illinois, and Roger A. Adelman of Villa Hills, Kentucky; cousins, nieces and nephews; and many others who, though not blood-related, loved her like family for her warm, open heart and welcoming nature.
An online service will be held in early January 2021; this page will be updated when details are available. An in-person memorial event is under consideration for late 2021. If you wish to honor Marcia’s memory with a donation, the family suggests Kansas City Hospice House, the Alzheimer’s Association, Girl Scouts of NE Kansas and NW Missouri, the Missouri Arts Council, or a Kansas City arts organization of your choosing.
“A heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.” — “The Wizard of Oz.”
Online condolences for the family may be left at www.louismemorialchapel.com.
Arrangements by The Louis Memorial Chapel, 816-361-5211.
