On the floor, at the helm

Elia Powers

When the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum moved into its new digs

nearly a decade ago, there were a number of concerns, not the least

of which was how to deal with an antiquated electrical system.

The move to a 13,000-square-foot boat meant a daunting wiring and

lighting challenge.

But the museum had a valuable asset: Dick Cooper.

A veteran technician at General Electric Co., Cooper, a Costa Mesa

resident, volunteered hundreds of hours a year to the floating

museum.

“We couldn’t have survived without him,” said Marshall Steele,

director of facilities at Newport Harbor Nautical Museum. “He spent

months with me going through the electrical details, helping with

displays, doing anything we needed.

“I’d estimate he saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars in

electrical fees.”

Many of Cooper’s volunteer hours were spent crawling on the floor,

looking for wiring and exhibit lighting possibilities.

Cooper, nicknamed “Coop,” was honored as volunteer of the year at

the museum repeatedly between 1997 and 2003, and he was named

volunteer emeritus, a title bestowed on the most dedicated workers.

“He was the go-to guy,” said Lee Cooper, Dick Cooper’s son.

“Anything behind the scenes, my dad had some involvement.”

Dick Cooper’s most recent lighting design is on display for the

museum’s current ode to surfing, Orange Peel.

Dick Cooper owned a 22-foot Catalina boat called the Lyndico,

named for his wife, Lynn, his first name and the couple’s last name.

Lee Cooper said his dad spent hours working on his boat and other

boats he co-owned.

He wore embroidered sailboats on his pants and liked nautical

clothing.

“You knew he was a boat person,” Lee Cooper said.

Most of Dick Cooper’s volunteering was at the Newport Harbor

Nautical Museum. He was also a lifetime member and volunteer at Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club.

He donated his time and money to many local museums, worked to

support the Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race and was

involved in the Newport Ocean Sailing Assn.

Dick Cooper, a New Jersey native who served in the U.S. Army

during World War II, taught lighting design at numerous local

schools, including UC Irvine. He retired from General Electric in

1985.

Cooper, a 25-year Orange County resident, died June 26 after a

long battle with lymphoma. He is survived by his brother, Bob Cooper;

his sons, Lee Cooper, Bruce Cooper and Steve Cooper; his partner,

Paula Mercado; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

A private family service is being held July 31. The family is planning to take a boat out from the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum

to honor Dick Cooper. A museum remembrance is taking place from 6 to

8 p.m. on Aug. 1.