Wanda Sue "Susie" Cooper

Wanda Sue “Susie” Cooper, 82, Bristol, Tennessee, passed on to glory peacefully after a long journey with dementia, on Monday, July 27, 2026, at Oakmont Assisted Living and Memory Care in Bristol, Virginia. Susie was born on August 27, 1943, in Branchland, West Virginia; she was a graduate of the class of 1962 from Logan High School in Logan, West Virginia. Susie resided in Kingsport, Tennessee for 47 years, where she worked dutifully as a bakery manager at Ingles, White’s and K-Mart. Susie and her late husband, George, generously opened their home to exchange students from various countries such as: Hong Kong (Jacquie Hue), Bulgaria (Alex Boyanov), Ecuador, Yugoslavia, China, Poland and Germany. They were proud foster parents to many children and housed several family members over the years. Susie was an avid bowler in the 70’s, winning both league and state championships. She greatly enjoyed music and was fond of many different artists and genres. She was an animal lover and cared for many fur babies over the years; she also had parakeets and two eclectus parrots with whom she nurtured a special relationship. Affectionately known to have a “green thumb”, gardening and growing flowers came naturally to her. Susie enjoyed cooking and taking care of her family; time spent with her loved ones was always most important to her.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Homer Darrell Watson and Garnet Pauline Eplin Watson; husband of 59 years, George Frost Cooper; brother, Roger Watson; granddaughter-in-law, Carol Hensley Singletary; great-grandson, Cole Singletary-Lambert; parents-in-law, George Alexander and Lena Rigby Cooper; brothers-in-law, Danny Cooper, Richard Cooper, and Jim Cooper; sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Farmer, Carol Wellman, and Mary Miller.

Those left to cherish her memory include her daughter, Angela Singletary of Bristol, Tennessee; brothers, Gary Watson (Mary Rose) of Conway, South Carolina and Kenny Ray Watson (Kathy) of Blountville, Tennessee; sisters-in-law, Wanda Watson of Sissonville, West Virginia, Diane Holcomb (David) of Kingsport, Tennessee and Anita Cooper of Switzerland; grandchildren, Caroline Singletary (Peter) of Athens, Georgia, Cooper Singletary (Raisa) of Orange Beach, Alabama and Caleb Singletary (Mari) of Kingsport, Tennessee; great-grandchildren, Dmitri, Damon, Eleanor and Emmanuelle Singletary-Parker and Leo Singletary-Wilson of Athens, Georgia; George and Scottie Grace Singletary of Kingsport, Tennessee and several nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, August 8, 2026, from 2:00-4:00pm at Hamlett-Dobson Funeral home and Memorial Park 2630 Highway 75 Blountville, Tennessee 37617. A graveside service, with Pastor Brad Davis, will follow there in the Garden of Solomon at 4:00pm.

Pallbearers will be family and friends.

The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the staff of Oakmont Assisted Living and Memory Care of Bristol, Virginia, for their exceptional care, love, and kindness.

Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Homes is honored to serve the family of Wanda Sue “Susie” Cooper