Herdegen-Brieske Funeral Home
Nicole C. Cooper Obituary
Nicole Catherine Cooper (Maniatis), age 30, a lifetime resident of Chicago, entered eternal life on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 after a battle with Leukemia. She was born March 3, 1981. She was an alumna of St. Thomas More and The Illinois Institute of Technology, School of Architecture. She was married to the love of her life, Michael Cooper, on July 9, 2011. Nicole is survived by her husband, Michael Cooper; her mother, Deborah Fisher (Bill); her brother Michael Maniatis (Lauren Berwinger), Mary Beth Walsh; her surrogate family Patrick Vaughan, Patricia Vaughan, Erin Vaughan (Patrick Bishop), PJ Vaughan (Karen), Anne McGinnis (Matthew); The Cooper family Bernadette and Stephen Cooper, Amy Whipple (Eric), Carrie Schochet (Blake); Her niece Claire and nephews Matthew, Brendan, Luke, Jake (her Godson) and Emmett; hundreds of friends. She is reunited with their baby, her father, William Maniatis, her grandparents, Theodore and Eleanor Maniatis, Joseph and Helen August and her cousin Janet Rose O'Connor. Nicole was the bright light for all of her friends and family. She brought laughter and warmth to every situation and understood what was truly important in life. Simple things brought her the most joy – laughing with her husband, playing with her niece and nephews, a card game, eating cereal with water, throwing a ball to her dog, a Greek meal, Mrs. Vaughan's lasagna, a kiss, baseball, and sketching. Nicole was never hurried; she took the time to enjoy life. People were more important than possessions. She found comfort and happiness being surrounded by an army of friends and family. She was the most selfless and thoughtful individual – she would drop anything to help a friend or make a new one. Her participation in The California Group brought her serenity and the opportunity to help others. From her beautiful brown eyes and Greek "looks" to her insistence on wearing pajamas in public, she was unique in every way. Her creativity was her most defining attribute as exhibited in her passion for architecture. Nicole loved training for marathons and sailing along Lake Michigan. She spent childhood summers at Gun Lake (Look: GUN LAKE!). Mullett Lake became her place of joy and peace. The day she was introduced to Mike was the first chapter in an all too short love story. Nicole's dream included a mini-van filled with children. She would have been the ultimate mother. She is now reunited in heaven with their baby. Nicole was the living example of the Prayer of St. Francis.
Visitation at Herdegen-Brieske Funeral Home, 1356 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago, Tuesday, December 27, 3-9 p.m. Funeral Wednesday, December 28, 10:30 a.m. at Saint Clement Church, 642 W. Deming Pl., Chicago. Will be laid to rest at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, IL. In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes can be made to the Anti-Cruelty Society (anticruelty.org), Alcoholics Anonymous (chicagoaa.org), The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (lls.org). Indicate Nicole Cooper in the notes.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (lls.org) http://www.lls.org/#/waystohelp/donate/donateonline/
Alcoholics Anonymous (chicagoaa.org) http://www.chicagoaa.org/donations.php
Anti-Cruelty Society (anticruelty.org) https://www.kintera.org/AutoGen/Simple/Donor.asp?ievent=460704&en=9hLLJUOwH7IHKWOGIdIHJVOzHjIVL2MCLeJOIWPKLrJ5H
Chicago Tribune Article:
Nicole Cooper, 1981-2011
IIT graduate diagnosed with leukemia during pregnancy
December 30, 2011|By Jennifer Delgado, Chicago Tribune reporter
Throughout her life, Nicole Cooper didn't care about materialistic things because she knew friends and family were the true treasures.
The 30-year-old Chicagoan always bought used cars. She picked up furniture from secondhand stores or the side of the road. And when it came to her wedding, she borrowed a dress and asked a younger cousin fix her hair.
"She just cared about people and memories," said her lifelong friend Anne McGinnis, 30. "She just wanted to be married and start a family."
Mrs. Cooper died Wednesday, Dec. 21, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital of complications from leukemia, said her husband, Mike.
Born in Chicago and raised in the Wrightwood neighborhood, Mrs. Cooper was a White Sox fan who instantly forged friendships with those she met. She never forgot a face and extended kindness to everyone, friends and family said.
She endured a rough childhood: her parents divorced, her father battled alcoholism and later died, and her mother moved to Arizona, while she and her brother, Mike Maniatis, stayed in Chicago.
Through those times, she took to Anne McGinnis and the Vaughan family, who became her support system and adopted family. She even lived with them for a brief period, McGinnis said.
During some of her family's troubles, Mrs. Cooper applied for family housing while studying architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology so her brother could live with her. An anonymous donor paid for her brother's education at De La Salle High School, and Mrs. Cooper worked to provide food and clothing.
Though she obtained a bachelor's degree in architecture from IIT in 2005 and worked as an architect, her true passion was helping others. She traveled to prisons, women's health facilities and hospitals to talk and listen to people struggling with addictions, said her friend Gabrielle Sansonetti, 38.
"She had a way of looking beyond people and their quirky exteriors," Sansonetti said. "She just saw people's character."
In December 2007, Mrs. Cooper met her husband at a Christmas party and immediately fell in love with his loyalty and commitment to family.
Together, the two took weekend trips across the country, spent time at his family's cottage at Mullett Lake near Cheboygan, Mich., and bonded over their strong faith in God.
"The times that we had the most fun were being at our apartment, trying to cook together and just talking about what we wanted to do with our lives," her husband said.
After an 18-month engagement, the couple married in July at St. Clement Church in Lincoln Park. Shortly after, they found out Mrs. Cooper was pregnant.
During blood work for her pregnancy in September, doctors diagnosed Mrs. Cooper with leukemia. She went through various rounds of chemotherapy and treatment and lost her baby during the battle.
With a stem cell transplant scheduled in January, Mrs. Cooper was set to return home for a few weeks around the holidays. She was so excited she went online to buy gifts for everyone, friends said, but she died on the day doctors planned on discharging her.
"She would have been an amazing mother," her husband said. "She certainly was an amazing woman."
Mrs. Cooper also is survived by her mother, Deborah Fisher.
A service was held.
[email protected]
Nicole C. Cooper Obituary
Nicole Catherine Cooper (Maniatis), age 30, a lifetime resident of Chicago, entered eternal life on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 after a battle with Leukemia. She was born March 3, 1981. She was an alumna of St. Thomas More and The Illinois Institute of Technology, School of Architecture. She was married to the love of her life, Michael Cooper, on July 9, 2011. Nicole is survived by her husband, Michael Cooper; her mother, Deborah Fisher (Bill); her brother Michael Maniatis (Lauren Berwinger), Mary Beth Walsh; her surrogate family Patrick Vaughan, Patricia Vaughan, Erin Vaughan (Patrick Bishop), PJ Vaughan (Karen), Anne McGinnis (Matthew); The Cooper family Bernadette and Stephen Cooper, Amy Whipple (Eric), Carrie Schochet (Blake); Her niece Claire and nephews Matthew, Brendan, Luke, Jake (her Godson) and Emmett; hundreds of friends. She is reunited with their baby, her father, William Maniatis, her grandparents, Theodore and Eleanor Maniatis, Joseph and Helen August and her cousin Janet Rose O'Connor. Nicole was the bright light for all of her friends and family. She brought laughter and warmth to every situation and understood what was truly important in life. Simple things brought her the most joy – laughing with her husband, playing with her niece and nephews, a card game, eating cereal with water, throwing a ball to her dog, a Greek meal, Mrs. Vaughan's lasagna, a kiss, baseball, and sketching. Nicole was never hurried; she took the time to enjoy life. People were more important than possessions. She found comfort and happiness being surrounded by an army of friends and family. She was the most selfless and thoughtful individual – she would drop anything to help a friend or make a new one. Her participation in The California Group brought her serenity and the opportunity to help others. From her beautiful brown eyes and Greek "looks" to her insistence on wearing pajamas in public, she was unique in every way. Her creativity was her most defining attribute as exhibited in her passion for architecture. Nicole loved training for marathons and sailing along Lake Michigan. She spent childhood summers at Gun Lake (Look: GUN LAKE!). Mullett Lake became her place of joy and peace. The day she was introduced to Mike was the first chapter in an all too short love story. Nicole's dream included a mini-van filled with children. She would have been the ultimate mother. She is now reunited in heaven with their baby. Nicole was the living example of the Prayer of St. Francis.
Visitation at Herdegen-Brieske Funeral Home, 1356 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago, Tuesday, December 27, 3-9 p.m. Funeral Wednesday, December 28, 10:30 a.m. at Saint Clement Church, 642 W. Deming Pl., Chicago. Will be laid to rest at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, IL. In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes can be made to the Anti-Cruelty Society (anticruelty.org), Alcoholics Anonymous (chicagoaa.org), The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (lls.org). Indicate Nicole Cooper in the notes.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (lls.org) http://www.lls.org/#/waystohelp/donate/donateonline/
Alcoholics Anonymous (chicagoaa.org) http://www.chicagoaa.org/donations.php
Anti-Cruelty Society (anticruelty.org) https://www.kintera.org/AutoGen/Simple/Donor.asp?ievent=460704&en=9hLLJUOwH7IHKWOGIdIHJVOzHjIVL2MCLeJOIWPKLrJ5H
Chicago Tribune Article:
Nicole Cooper, 1981-2011
IIT graduate diagnosed with leukemia during pregnancy
December 30, 2011|By Jennifer Delgado, Chicago Tribune reporter
Throughout her life, Nicole Cooper didn't care about materialistic things because she knew friends and family were the true treasures.
The 30-year-old Chicagoan always bought used cars. She picked up furniture from secondhand stores or the side of the road. And when it came to her wedding, she borrowed a dress and asked a younger cousin fix her hair.
"She just cared about people and memories," said her lifelong friend Anne McGinnis, 30. "She just wanted to be married and start a family."
Mrs. Cooper died Wednesday, Dec. 21, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital of complications from leukemia, said her husband, Mike.
Born in Chicago and raised in the Wrightwood neighborhood, Mrs. Cooper was a White Sox fan who instantly forged friendships with those she met. She never forgot a face and extended kindness to everyone, friends and family said.
She endured a rough childhood: her parents divorced, her father battled alcoholism and later died, and her mother moved to Arizona, while she and her brother, Mike Maniatis, stayed in Chicago.
Through those times, she took to Anne McGinnis and the Vaughan family, who became her support system and adopted family. She even lived with them for a brief period, McGinnis said.
During some of her family's troubles, Mrs. Cooper applied for family housing while studying architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology so her brother could live with her. An anonymous donor paid for her brother's education at De La Salle High School, and Mrs. Cooper worked to provide food and clothing.
Though she obtained a bachelor's degree in architecture from IIT in 2005 and worked as an architect, her true passion was helping others. She traveled to prisons, women's health facilities and hospitals to talk and listen to people struggling with addictions, said her friend Gabrielle Sansonetti, 38.
"She had a way of looking beyond people and their quirky exteriors," Sansonetti said. "She just saw people's character."
In December 2007, Mrs. Cooper met her husband at a Christmas party and immediately fell in love with his loyalty and commitment to family.
Together, the two took weekend trips across the country, spent time at his family's cottage at Mullett Lake near Cheboygan, Mich., and bonded over their strong faith in God.
"The times that we had the most fun were being at our apartment, trying to cook together and just talking about what we wanted to do with our lives," her husband said.
After an 18-month engagement, the couple married in July at St. Clement Church in Lincoln Park. Shortly after, they found out Mrs. Cooper was pregnant.
During blood work for her pregnancy in September, doctors diagnosed Mrs. Cooper with leukemia. She went through various rounds of chemotherapy and treatment and lost her baby during the battle.
With a stem cell transplant scheduled in January, Mrs. Cooper was set to return home for a few weeks around the holidays. She was so excited she went online to buy gifts for everyone, friends said, but she died on the day doctors planned on discharging her.
"She would have been an amazing mother," her husband said. "She certainly was an amazing woman."
Mrs. Cooper also is survived by her mother, Deborah Fisher.
A service was held.
[email protected]
Herdegen-Brieske Funeral Home
Nicole C. Cooper Obituary
Nicole Catherine Cooper (Maniatis), age 30, a lifetime resident of Chicago, entered eternal life on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 after a battle with Leukemia. She was born March 3, 1981. She was an alumna of St. Thomas More and The Illinois Institute of Technology, School of Architecture. She was married to the love of her life, Michael Cooper, on July 9, 2011. Nicole is survived by her husband, Michael Cooper; her mother, Deborah Fisher (Bill); her brother Michael Maniatis (Lauren Berwinger), Mary Beth Walsh; her surrogate family Patrick Vaughan, Patricia Vaughan, Erin Vaughan (Patrick Bishop), PJ Vaughan (Karen), Anne McGinnis (Matthew); The Cooper family Bernadette and Stephen Cooper, Amy Whipple (Eric), Carrie Schochet (Blake); Her niece Claire and nephews Matthew, Brendan, Luke, Jake (her Godson) and Emmett; hundreds of friends. She is reunited with their baby, her father, William Maniatis, her grandparents, Theodore and Eleanor Maniatis, Joseph and Helen August and her cousin Janet Rose O'Connor. Nicole was the bright light for all of her friends and family. She brought laughter and warmth to every situation and understood what was truly important in life. Simple things brought her the most joy – laughing with her husband, playing with her niece and nephews, a card game, eating cereal with water, throwing a ball to her dog, a Greek meal, Mrs. Vaughan's lasagna, a kiss, baseball, and sketching. Nicole was never hurried; she took the time to enjoy life. People were more important than possessions. She found comfort and happiness being surrounded by an army of friends and family. She was the most selfless and thoughtful individual – she would drop anything to help a friend or make a new one. Her participation in The California Group brought her serenity and the opportunity to help others. From her beautiful brown eyes and Greek "looks" to her insistence on wearing pajamas in public, she was unique in every way. Her creativity was her most defining attribute as exhibited in her passion for architecture. Nicole loved training for marathons and sailing along Lake Michigan. She spent childhood summers at Gun Lake (Look: GUN LAKE!). Mullett Lake became her place of joy and peace. The day she was introduced to Mike was the first chapter in an all too short love story. Nicole's dream included a mini-van filled with children. She would have been the ultimate mother. She is now reunited in heaven with their baby. Nicole was the living example of the Prayer of St. Francis.
Visitation at Herdegen-Brieske Funeral Home, 1356 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago, Tuesday, December 27, 3-9 p.m. Funeral Wednesday, December 28, 10:30 a.m. at Saint Clement Church, 642 W. Deming Pl., Chicago. Will be laid to rest at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, IL. In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes can be made to the Anti-Cruelty Society (anticruelty.org), Alcoholics Anonymous (chicagoaa.org), The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (lls.org). Indicate Nicole Cooper in the notes.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (lls.org) http://www.lls.org/#/waystohelp/donate/donateonline/
Alcoholics Anonymous (chicagoaa.org) http://www.chicagoaa.org/donations.php
Anti-Cruelty Society (anticruelty.org) https://www.kintera.org/AutoGen/Simple/Donor.asp?ievent=460704&en=9hLLJUOwH7IHKWOGIdIHJVOzHjIVL2MCLeJOIWPKLrJ5H
Chicago Tribune Article:
Nicole Cooper, 1981-2011
IIT graduate diagnosed with leukemia during pregnancy
December 30, 2011|By Jennifer Delgado, Chicago Tribune reporter
Throughout her life, Nicole Cooper didn't care about materialistic things because she knew friends and family were the true treasures.
The 30-year-old Chicagoan always bought used cars. She picked up furniture from secondhand stores or the side of the road. And when it came to her wedding, she borrowed a dress and asked a younger cousin fix her hair.
"She just cared about people and memories," said her lifelong friend Anne McGinnis, 30. "She just wanted to be married and start a family."
Mrs. Cooper died Wednesday, Dec. 21, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital of complications from leukemia, said her husband, Mike.
Born in Chicago and raised in the Wrightwood neighborhood, Mrs. Cooper was a White Sox fan who instantly forged friendships with those she met. She never forgot a face and extended kindness to everyone, friends and family said.
She endured a rough childhood: her parents divorced, her father battled alcoholism and later died, and her mother moved to Arizona, while she and her brother, Mike Maniatis, stayed in Chicago.
Through those times, she took to Anne McGinnis and the Vaughan family, who became her support system and adopted family. She even lived with them for a brief period, McGinnis said.
During some of her family's troubles, Mrs. Cooper applied for family housing while studying architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology so her brother could live with her. An anonymous donor paid for her brother's education at De La Salle High School, and Mrs. Cooper worked to provide food and clothing.
Though she obtained a bachelor's degree in architecture from IIT in 2005 and worked as an architect, her true passion was helping others. She traveled to prisons, women's health facilities and hospitals to talk and listen to people struggling with addictions, said her friend Gabrielle Sansonetti, 38.
"She had a way of looking beyond people and their quirky exteriors," Sansonetti said. "She just saw people's character."
In December 2007, Mrs. Cooper met her husband at a Christmas party and immediately fell in love with his loyalty and commitment to family.
Together, the two took weekend trips across the country, spent time at his family's cottage at Mullett Lake near Cheboygan, Mich., and bonded over their strong faith in God.
"The times that we had the most fun were being at our apartment, trying to cook together and just talking about what we wanted to do with our lives," her husband said.
After an 18-month engagement, the couple married in July at St. Clement Church in Lincoln Park. Shortly after, they found out Mrs. Cooper was pregnant.
During blood work for her pregnancy in September, doctors diagnosed Mrs. Cooper with leukemia. She went through various rounds of chemotherapy and treatment and lost her baby during the battle.
With a stem cell transplant scheduled in January, Mrs. Cooper was set to return home for a few weeks around the holidays. She was so excited she went online to buy gifts for everyone, friends said, but she died on the day doctors planned on discharging her.
"She would have been an amazing mother," her husband said. "She certainly was an amazing woman."
Mrs. Cooper also is survived by her mother, Deborah Fisher.
A service was held.
[email protected]
Nicole C. Cooper Obituary
Nicole Catherine Cooper (Maniatis), age 30, a lifetime resident of Chicago, entered eternal life on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 after a battle with Leukemia. She was born March 3, 1981. She was an alumna of St. Thomas More and The Illinois Institute of Technology, School of Architecture. She was married to the love of her life, Michael Cooper, on July 9, 2011. Nicole is survived by her husband, Michael Cooper; her mother, Deborah Fisher (Bill); her brother Michael Maniatis (Lauren Berwinger), Mary Beth Walsh; her surrogate family Patrick Vaughan, Patricia Vaughan, Erin Vaughan (Patrick Bishop), PJ Vaughan (Karen), Anne McGinnis (Matthew); The Cooper family Bernadette and Stephen Cooper, Amy Whipple (Eric), Carrie Schochet (Blake); Her niece Claire and nephews Matthew, Brendan, Luke, Jake (her Godson) and Emmett; hundreds of friends. She is reunited with their baby, her father, William Maniatis, her grandparents, Theodore and Eleanor Maniatis, Joseph and Helen August and her cousin Janet Rose O'Connor. Nicole was the bright light for all of her friends and family. She brought laughter and warmth to every situation and understood what was truly important in life. Simple things brought her the most joy – laughing with her husband, playing with her niece and nephews, a card game, eating cereal with water, throwing a ball to her dog, a Greek meal, Mrs. Vaughan's lasagna, a kiss, baseball, and sketching. Nicole was never hurried; she took the time to enjoy life. People were more important than possessions. She found comfort and happiness being surrounded by an army of friends and family. She was the most selfless and thoughtful individual – she would drop anything to help a friend or make a new one. Her participation in The California Group brought her serenity and the opportunity to help others. From her beautiful brown eyes and Greek "looks" to her insistence on wearing pajamas in public, she was unique in every way. Her creativity was her most defining attribute as exhibited in her passion for architecture. Nicole loved training for marathons and sailing along Lake Michigan. She spent childhood summers at Gun Lake (Look: GUN LAKE!). Mullett Lake became her place of joy and peace. The day she was introduced to Mike was the first chapter in an all too short love story. Nicole's dream included a mini-van filled with children. She would have been the ultimate mother. She is now reunited in heaven with their baby. Nicole was the living example of the Prayer of St. Francis.
Visitation at Herdegen-Brieske Funeral Home, 1356 W. Wellington Ave., Chicago, Tuesday, December 27, 3-9 p.m. Funeral Wednesday, December 28, 10:30 a.m. at Saint Clement Church, 642 W. Deming Pl., Chicago. Will be laid to rest at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, IL. In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes can be made to the Anti-Cruelty Society (anticruelty.org), Alcoholics Anonymous (chicagoaa.org), The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (lls.org). Indicate Nicole Cooper in the notes.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (lls.org) http://www.lls.org/#/waystohelp/donate/donateonline/
Alcoholics Anonymous (chicagoaa.org) http://www.chicagoaa.org/donations.php
Anti-Cruelty Society (anticruelty.org) https://www.kintera.org/AutoGen/Simple/Donor.asp?ievent=460704&en=9hLLJUOwH7IHKWOGIdIHJVOzHjIVL2MCLeJOIWPKLrJ5H
Chicago Tribune Article:
Nicole Cooper, 1981-2011
IIT graduate diagnosed with leukemia during pregnancy
December 30, 2011|By Jennifer Delgado, Chicago Tribune reporter
Throughout her life, Nicole Cooper didn't care about materialistic things because she knew friends and family were the true treasures.
The 30-year-old Chicagoan always bought used cars. She picked up furniture from secondhand stores or the side of the road. And when it came to her wedding, she borrowed a dress and asked a younger cousin fix her hair.
"She just cared about people and memories," said her lifelong friend Anne McGinnis, 30. "She just wanted to be married and start a family."
Mrs. Cooper died Wednesday, Dec. 21, at Northwestern Memorial Hospital of complications from leukemia, said her husband, Mike.
Born in Chicago and raised in the Wrightwood neighborhood, Mrs. Cooper was a White Sox fan who instantly forged friendships with those she met. She never forgot a face and extended kindness to everyone, friends and family said.
She endured a rough childhood: her parents divorced, her father battled alcoholism and later died, and her mother moved to Arizona, while she and her brother, Mike Maniatis, stayed in Chicago.
Through those times, she took to Anne McGinnis and the Vaughan family, who became her support system and adopted family. She even lived with them for a brief period, McGinnis said.
During some of her family's troubles, Mrs. Cooper applied for family housing while studying architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology so her brother could live with her. An anonymous donor paid for her brother's education at De La Salle High School, and Mrs. Cooper worked to provide food and clothing.
Though she obtained a bachelor's degree in architecture from IIT in 2005 and worked as an architect, her true passion was helping others. She traveled to prisons, women's health facilities and hospitals to talk and listen to people struggling with addictions, said her friend Gabrielle Sansonetti, 38.
"She had a way of looking beyond people and their quirky exteriors," Sansonetti said. "She just saw people's character."
In December 2007, Mrs. Cooper met her husband at a Christmas party and immediately fell in love with his loyalty and commitment to family.
Together, the two took weekend trips across the country, spent time at his family's cottage at Mullett Lake near Cheboygan, Mich., and bonded over their strong faith in God.
"The times that we had the most fun were being at our apartment, trying to cook together and just talking about what we wanted to do with our lives," her husband said.
After an 18-month engagement, the couple married in July at St. Clement Church in Lincoln Park. Shortly after, they found out Mrs. Cooper was pregnant.
During blood work for her pregnancy in September, doctors diagnosed Mrs. Cooper with leukemia. She went through various rounds of chemotherapy and treatment and lost her baby during the battle.
With a stem cell transplant scheduled in January, Mrs. Cooper was set to return home for a few weeks around the holidays. She was so excited she went online to buy gifts for everyone, friends said, but she died on the day doctors planned on discharging her.
"She would have been an amazing mother," her husband said. "She certainly was an amazing woman."
Mrs. Cooper also is survived by her mother, Deborah Fisher.
A service was held.
[email protected]
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