Tribute to Ivor Mansell Stephen Cooper

Stephen was born in Southgate, north London, but grew up in south west London, and latterly, in north London.

As a child, he obtained a scholarship to the Royal College of Music to study the piano and double bass. As a young man he played the latter in two orchestras, which he continued to do for fifty years.

He completed his studies to become a pharmaceutical chemist in 1965, graduating from Portsmouth College, after which he joined his father’s business in Tottenham, north London, where he worked until father’s retirement.

Stephen chose not to remain in that shop and became a locum pharmacist for a firm which has “changed hands” more than once.

He worked in many shops, in quite a good number of localities, where he was always popular and well liked for his attentiveness, experience and reliability. He was always courteous and totally committed to accuracy.

Stephen continued to work as a locum until his retirement aged 65 years. He remained in touch with some of his former colleagues, and he was always well liked and respected. Stephen was very proud to have been a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society for over 50 years. 

In his spare time, he liked travelling, spending some time in Europe for vacations. He also enjoyed gardening, especially during the summer months, helped by family members, and visits from friends and relatives.

His life was filled with good deeds and humour. His kindness and generosity were well known and he always had the time to help others, whenever they needed him. He never spoke a cross word!

He will be greatly missed by his family, relatives and friends, to all of whom his untimely death came as a shock after being in hospital and the hospice for a comparatively short time.

Stephen will be irreplaceable.