CELEBRATING THE LAUGHTER, LOVE, LIFE, & LEGACY OF ERIC VAN COOPER JR. (EJ)

Episode 1: Entry & Elementary Eric Van Cooper Jr. was born on May 21, 1974 to Linda Bailey Cooper and the late Eric Cooper Sr. He entered the world 'real easy" with a huge grin on his face, and not too long after that he was lovingly known as "EJ". He attended Baltimore City Public Schools, and earned various awards. EJ often demonstrated that he didn't like conflict instead he embraced the joyful experiences in life like exchanging jokes with his sister, Tausha so they could laugh through the night. This was ultimately the beginning of him realizing he had the ability to make people laugh. He enjoyed sports, amusement parks, playing with his family, hanging outside with his friends, and creatively turning everything into a "choke" sandwich. EJ attended Howard Park Elementary School, and ended his years there with a slam dunk by earning the Class Winner of BCPS Mathematics Contest.

Episode 2: Athletic Arithmetic Since the basics, fundamentals, and necessities were achieved, EJ eased through Garrison Middle School before graduating from and becoming popularly known at Forest Park High School. He played football and basketball during his high school years. For football, he started as "Center", the innermost lineman of the offensive line, where he was positioned to protect and block. Now for basketball, he started as "Power Forward", and he definitely powerfully rebounded, secured, and "swooshed" the ball into the hoop. As a matter of fact, his three-point shot was "Nothing But Neť. At age 14, while playing basketball in the Christian basketball tournaments for Concord Baptist Church, EJ accepted Christ as his personal savior. He was instrumental in bringing his friends to Christ through sports ministry. EJ won MVP, Most Valuable Player, many times on the way to several sports championships from Baltimore to New York. He was a star force on every team he played on. As an adult he continued to play flag-football, and would often be found on several courts wiping sweat from his forehead with his t-shirt after manipulating and dominating the court. Yes, indeed, his weight never kept him from hooping all day and schooling you! His mental calculations made him a basketball legend.

Episode 3: Family, Friends, Fun, & Faith EJ understood the importance of having a close-knit family. He was known as a fun-loving and caring person who embraced all of his loved ones. He looked forward to family gatherings and vacations. These values were deeply rooted in EJ at a young age. Moreover, he considered his friends his family. He grew up on a block where neighbors were considered cousins, playing block-ball in the middle of the street was regular, and you better be on the front porch when the street lights come on was the routine. (Shout out LAGO Neighborhood – Liberty and Gwyn Oak) At a young age, he joined the Usher Board, and cheerfully showed people to their seats. Providing service to others and protecting those around him came naturally. EJ was a caregiver to his mom: he took her to medical appointments, snuck her chicken boxes, and brushed her wig. Yeah, he was definitely a momma's boy. EJ was charismatic on the dance floor, hilarious at every event, and a superhero to many.

Episode 4: Prime of his Life EJ fell in love with Soria Pup-Pup), and their relationship blossomed over 23 years. Best friend and backbone were the essence of their love for one another. Their home often resembled the scenes from the Daddy Day Care movie: caring and hilarious. EJ loved his children and enjoyed spending time with them. They all looked forward to Sunday which was known for their family day. EJ attended their field trips, helped them with homework, transported them to and from school, was present for teacher conferences, showed up for special events, and even babysat for other family members. It was standard practice for him to take his grandson to the barbershop so they could keep their haircuts fresh every Friday. He enjoyed seeing kids being kids.

EJ was gifted with the ability of making everyone laugh, and he will forever be missed. He was preceded in death by his father, Eric Cooper Sr., and his brothers: Anthony Staton and Ruben Cooper. He leaves to cherish his memory and love, his mother, Linda Bailey Cooper; the love of his life, Soria Holland, three children: Dominic Cooper, Korea Cooper, and Aria Cooper; one grandson, Devon Pender; four sisters: Tausha Bailey, Surina Bland, Nicky Cooper, and Erica Staton. He also leaves behind a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, god-children, and an extended amount of close friends.