Donald Lee Cooley

Donald Lee Cooley, 93, died February 11, 2020, at Brookdale Mount Vernon Senior Living, Cleveland, TN after a long struggle with a brain tumor and Alzheimer’s. He passed peacefully.
Don was born in Portsmouth, Ohio to Lawrence and Myrtle Cooley on 1 September 1926. He went to school at West Portsmouth, OH. He married Virginia (Ginny) Schwamberger in 1948. They had two sons, Michael and Jonathan. As a lifelong learner, Don attended the University of Cincinnati, Pace University, Scioto Technical College, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, graduated from Ohio University with a BS in Mathematics and was admitted to the Marshall University Graduate School. Don was a licensed Mechanical Engineer in California and was an Electrical and Mechanical Engineer in Arizona, Kentucky, and Ohio. He was also a licensed Land Surveyor in Arizona. Don worked for Ohio Power Company in Portsmouth and Newark, Ohio and American Electric Power where he retired with 15 years of combined service. He was the City Engineer in Portsmouth, Ohio from 1997-1999; he worked for Catalytic Corporation in Portsmouth, OH, and Raleigh, NC. Don retired from the Tennessee Valley
Authority as an Electrical Engineer. Don taught courses at Shawnee State College and held a Long-Term Substitute Teaching License from the Ohio Department of Education. He was a substitute teacher at West Portsmouth, OH. Don was a veteran of WWII and served in the US Navy and JASCO as a Radio Operator. He was a 32nd degree Freemason with a Life Membership to Dayton Lodge 512, Dayton, TN; Scottish Rite Lodge 312, Cincinnati, OH and Lodge 769, Nauvoo, OH. He was a member of American Legion Post 23, Portsmouth, OH. Don was a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. He was presented with an American flag by Senator Ken Yager of Tennessee which flew over the Tennessee Capitol Building and a certificate of appreciation signed by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee for his WWII service. Don is preceded in death by wife of 53 years Virginia Joyce (Ginny) Schwamberger-Cooley. Don is survived by two sons and (daughters-in-law) Michael and (Gay) Cooley of Dayton, TN; Dr. Jonathan and (Annette) Cooley of Newberg, OR; three grand-daughters and (son-in-law) Sherri and (Ray) Morgan of Graysville, GA; Alexis Cooley of Portland, OR and Tavia Cooley of Tualatin, OR and two great-grandsons Bradlee Morgan of Alpharetta, GA and Dustyn Morgan of Graysville, GA. He is also survived by two sisters-in-law and (brother-in-law) Norma and (Ray) Wiltshire of Loveland, OH and Jean Cooley of Portsmouth, OH.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm Saturday, February 29, 2020, at Spivey United Methodist Church 3680 Blythe Ferry Road, Dayton, TN with Pastor Bill Ewing, officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Don’s name to Alzheimer’s Association @ Alz.Org or American Cancer Society @ Cancer.Org or Hospice of Chattanooga @ HospiceofChattanooga.Org.
The entire Cooley family and extended family want to express their gratitude to the Brookdale Senior Living Mount Vernon Drive Staff, Cleveland, TN; Hospice of Chattanooga, Chattanooga, TN; Pastor Bill Ewing and Spivey United Methodist Church, Dayton, TN.