With sadness we announce the passing of our beloved Mother/Gramma/GiGi, Verna Margaret Coop (née Uphill), on June 21, 2025.

Verna was born in Fernie, BC, on August 17, 1927. She contracted polio when she was 2 years old, which left her a paraplegic but certainly didn’t dampen her spirit. She moved to Kimberley with her husband and two daughters in 1959 and remained in the town she loved. She worked at the Kimberley Medical Clinic and the Steelworkers Union Hall before returning to school at 54, attending Langara College to become a Family Assistance Worker for the Ministry of Families. She then travelled throughout BC, working as a temp in McBride and Dawson Creek before returning to the Kootenays to work in Cranbrook and Creston until she retired at 65.

Verna was always up for any adventure. She loved traveling, spending time at her cabin on Loon Lake, and having fun with her family and many friends. She was fiercely independent, a driving force with incredible inner strength, who left a lasting impression on everyone she touched. She lived a truly remarkable life full of adventure, many dear friends, and much fun, joy, and laughter.

She was predeceased by her husband, Harold, and is survived by daughters Glynda (Brian), Judy (Jay), grandchildren Kevin (Kandyce), Mahrie (Joel), and great-grandchildren Bradley, Zackery, and Presley.

A celebration of life will be held July 26 at 1:00 p.m. at Centre 64 in Kimberley.

 www.markmemorial.com