Marsha (Shank) Cooper passed away peacefully with immediate family members at her side, in the early morning hour of Monday June 16, 2025.  She had been hospitalized for several weeks following a period of declining health.  She was 82.

Marsha was born January 7, 1943 in Muncie, the first child of Irene Goad Shank and Elmer Joseph Shank of Albany.  She grew up in Albany and graduated with the class of 1961 from Albany High School.

Following a brief period of employment at Indiana Glass and the sudden death of a close friend, Marsha moved to New York City.  She was taken in by a wonderful lady named Elsie, who quickly broadened her horizons with trips to museums, attending the opera and Broadway shows, plus a job in her store.  This eventually led to a position in a travel agency, and Marsha became a travel agent for the rest of her life which included her own world-wide travels.  She worked across the country including San Francisco and Honolulu, and in a vacation visit to New Orleans, she met Cindy who would precipitate another significant change in her life by convincing her to move to Burlington, Vermont and to work in another travel agency.

Nearly four years later, in early 1972, at a call-out meeting for a community theatre play, she met Richard.  They were married May 27th, 1972.  For the next seven summers they made vacation trips to the Albany area.  By 1979, Marsha defied Thomas Wolfe's old adage "you can't go home again" and did it in spades, with husband, step-daughter and first son.  Soon she started and eventually owned a new travel agency, which lasted for forty years.  Marsha retired nearly three years ago.

Marsha is predeceased by her parents as well as several uncles, aunts, and cousins.

She is survived by her husband Richard J. Cooper of Ridgeville; sons Aaron (Sarah) Cooper of Yorktown; Colin (Carrie) Cooper also of Yorktown; stepdaughters, Sheila Wasson (John) of Carmel; and Corinne D. Cooper of Berlin, Vermont; twelve grandchildren and four great grandchildren as well as her brothers John (Connie) Shank of Muncie, Karl (Anna) Shank of Fairview and several cousins, nieces and nephews, including special niece Katherine Case.

Suggested memorials could be fulfilled by planting a tree or contributing to A.R.F.

A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday July 25, 2025 at Strong Cemetery.  Burial will follow.

A celebration of Marsha's life will be held at a later date.