Celebrating the Life of the Late
Attorney Joseph Cooper
Sunrise
December 21, 1937
Sunset
January 26, 2026
February 7, 2026
Greater St. Mark AME Church
1297 Old Georgetown Road
Hemingway, South Carolina
Reverend Arthur W. Ford, Pastor
Obituary
Joseph Cooper, beloved son, brother, uncle, mentor, and respected attorney, passed away peacefully on January 26, 2026, at his home in Sacramento, California. He was 88 years old.
Born on December 21, 1937, in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, Joseph began his earthly journey as the fourth child of the late Harmon Cooper, Sr., and Mary “Hunny” McCutcheon Cooper. Raised in the close-knit Indiantown community, he grew up surrounded by faith, family, and the values of hard work, perseverance, dignity, and service. His grandmother, Janie Wilson, played a central role in his upbringing, and Joseph often reflected on the strength and wisdom of the women and men who shaped his early life.
Joseph was nurtured in the St. Mark AME Church family in Hemingway, South Carolina, where he attended services with his parents, siblings, and grandmother. The church’s mission—to minister to the social, spiritual, and physical development of all people—became a guiding principle in Joseph’s life and later informed his work as an advocate for justice and equality.
He attended Old Battery Park School, which at the time offered education through the tenth grade. In 1954, Joseph moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where he completed high school before being drafted into the United States Army. He served honorably for two years and received an honorable discharge. In 1962, he moved to Sacramento, California, a city that would become his lifelong home.
Reflections: A Life Well Lived
Joseph began his professional career in real estate, founding Cooper Realty in 1965. The company reflected his belief in economic empowerment, property ownership, and community uplift. Through Cooper Realty, he helped families secure homes, supported local development, and expanded opportunities within Sacramento’s Black community.
While working in real estate, Joseph graduated from Sacramento City College. He later graduated from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. In 1970, he was admitted to the State Bar of California and subsequently to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. He founded the Joseph Cooper Law Corporation, building a successful personal-injury law practice known for its accessibility, compassion, and vigorous advocacy. His practice expanded to include real estate, workers’ compensation, health care, and civil rights law. He would later become a Judge Pro Tem for the California Superior Court.
In 1971, as a civil rights attorney, Joseph successfully represented members of the Black Panther Party in the “Oak Park 4” case, a landmark Sacramento civil rights matter. He later served as chairman of the city’s Citizens Advisory Committee on Police Practices.
In the early 1970s, Joseph’s work as a lawyer and community leader drew the attention of local and national political leaders. He was appointed to the Sacramento Planning Commission, named a director of the Sacramento Commerce and Trade Organization, and selected as a co-chairman—along with several others, including future California Governor Jerry Brown—of the California Citizens for Senator Edmund Muskie’s 1972 presidential campaign.
In 1975, Joseph ran for mayor of Sacramento, championing community-centered governance, police reform, and economic revitalization. Although unsuccessful, his campaign earned the endorsement of numerous business leaders and a half dozen former Sacramento City Council members.
Throughout his career, Joseph served in many other legal, political, and civic organizations. He was a founding member of the Sacramento Association of Black Attorneys—now the Wiley W. Manuel Bar Association—helping to establish a vital institutional voice for Black attorneys in California. He served multiple terms on the board of governors of the California Trial Lawyers Association (now Consumer Attorneys of California). He co-founded the Black American Political Association of California, an influential organization closely associated with California political icon Willie Brown, former Speaker of the California State Assembly and Mayor of San Francisco. He served as president of the Sacramento Urban League and was an active member of the NAACP.
Joseph also found time to work as a law professor at the Northwestern California University School of Law (NWCULaw). In 2023, Joseph was inducted into the NWCULaw Faculty Hall of Fame and honored as a “Distinguished Trial Lawyer, Educator, Civil Rights Activist, and Community Leader.” As a professor and associate dean, the law school noted that Joseph “made significant contributions to students of the school, and the community at large, through his inspirational teaching, innovative work, and dedication to law and liberty.”
To his family, Joseph was deeply loved for his sharp intellect, boundless curiosity, and ability to offer wisdom, history, and perspective to anyone who sought his counsel. Well-read, thoughtful, and generous with his knowledge, he was cherished by his brothers, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and colleagues across generations. Joseph’s life was a testament to perseverance, service, and faith. From the rural fields of South Carolina to the courtrooms and classrooms of Sacramento, he carried forward the values instilled in him by his family and community. His legacy endures in the institutions he helped build, the clients he served, the students he mentored, and the countless lives he touched.
“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:1
Joseph has entered his eternal rest, and his memory will continue to inspire all who knew and loved him.
A Life of Purpose
December 21, 1937 — January 26, 2026
1937
Birth
Born December 21 in Williamsburg County, South Carolina
1954
High School
Moved to New Haven, Connecticut to complete high school
1956
Military Service
Drafted into the United States Army; served honorably for two years
1962
Sacramento
Moved to Sacramento, California—his lifelong home
1965
Cooper Realty
Founded Cooper Realty, championing economic empowerment and property ownership
1970
Birth
Born December 21 in Williamsburg County, South Carolina
1971
Civil Rights Victory
Successfully represented members of the Black Panther Party in the ‘Oak Park 4’ case
1975
Mayoral Campaign
Ran for Mayor of Sacramento, championing community-centered governance
2023
Hall of Fame
Inducted into the NWCULaw Faculty Hall of Fame as Distinguished Trial Lawyer and Educator
2026
Eternal Rest
Passed away peacefully on January 26 at his home in Sacramento
Order of Service
Processional
Family Visitation / Final Viewing
11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Military Honors
Hymn — Blessed Assurance
Hymn #450
Invocation
Pastor John W. Rogers
(New St. Mary Independent Holiness Church, Hemingway, S.C.)
Scriptures
Old Testament: Psalm 1
Pastor Henry Singletary
(Nephew) — Fruitful & Blessed Ministries, Inc., Burlington, N.C.
New Testament: John 14:1-6
Mr. Harmon Cooper, Jr.
(Brother)
Solo
Mr. John Harmon Cooper
(Nephew)
Reflections
Grand Niece
Mrs. Vanessa W. Pressley
Niece
Nephew
Brother
Acknowledgements
Ms. Tasha L. Cooper, Esq.
(Nephew)
Miss Josephine Cooper
(Grandniece)
A Memorial Tribute of Joseph Cooper, Esq.
Solo or Selection
Mr. Rufus Palmer
Eulogy
Pastor Arthur W. Ford
Recessional
Medley of Music
Committal – Benediction – Interment
Greater St. Mark A.M.E. Church
Hemingway, South Carolina 29554
Honorary Pallbearers: Nephews
Honorary Floral Bearers: Nieces
Tributes
Tribute To Our Brother
God saw the road was getting rough,
The hill was hard to climb.
He gently closed those loving eyes,
And whispered, “Peace Be Thine.”
The weary hours today of pain,
The sleepless nights are past.
The restless worn-out frame has found
A sweet rest at last.
Your loving ways, your gentle face,
Your always good advice.
No one can fill your vacant chair,
No one can take your place.
Child of God, well done,
Your task on earth is done.
Your victory with life is won.
— Author Unknown
∼ Love, Your Brothers ∼
Melvin Cooper · Harmon Cooper, Jr. · David Cooper · Sam Cooper
His Precious Gift
One gift, above all others,
God gives to us to treasure,
One that knows no time, no place,
And one gold cannot measure.
The precious, poignant, tender gift
Of memory that will keep
Our dear Uncle Joe forever in our hearts.
Although God gives him rest,
A song, a word, a smile
Brings back long-remembered things.
And our world is a better place
Because we had him for a while.
∼ Love, Your Nieces and Nephews,
Grandnieces and Grandnephews ∼
Precious Memories
A Life Well Lived
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Matthew 25:23
The family of the late Attorney Joseph Cooper wishes to express their sincere gratitude for your
prayers, expressions of love, and acts of kindness.
Attorney Joseph Cooper
December 21, 1937 — January 26, 2026
In Loving Memory