Jaiwan's obituary
Jaiwan Jamal Cooper of Speedville, Florida, transitioned on June 18, 2023. He was 33 at the time of his death.
Jaiwan was born to Kenneth and Bobbie Cooper on September 12, 1989, at Alachua General Hospital in Gainesville, FL. He was the second of three children. As a child, Jaiwan enjoyed the outdoors and listening to music. He had a great fondness for exploration and technology. He loved the Speedville woods, spending hours riding bikes, building forts, skateboarding, and playing with cousins and friends.
As a young man, he traveled to Tallahassee with his best friends Brian and William to attend college. While introverted, it was there that he would grow his social wings, becoming more outgoing and open. He began to develop newfound confidence, ultimately deciding to enlist in the United States Army, where he served as a water treatment specialist and paratrooper. Upon leaving the army, he transitioned into a sterile processing technician role with the assistance of Mr. Carlos Williams, where he found his greatest success.
Jaiwan’s last years were filled with domestic and international travels. He was in search of new experiences, people, and cuisines. He often traveled in his beloved pickup truck, his prized possession. He also was committed to finishing nursing school at Santa Fe College.
He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Benjamin and Ernestine Cooper of Speedville, FL, and Arthur Grace (grandfather) of Chicago, Illinois. His precious memories will be cherished forever in the hearts and minds of his survivors: Kenneth and Bobbie Cooper (loving parents) of Keystone Heights, FL; Jerrod and Amy Cooper (brother and sister-in-law) of Minneapolis, MN; Brittney Cooper (sister) of Keystone Heights, FL; Eva Grace (grandmother) of Lake Butler, FL; Aunts: Marilyn (Lawrence) Wilborn of Atlanta, GA; Ferlessia (Kenneth) Hunt of Newberry, FL; She’von (Clarence) McNeal of Speedville, FL; Paula (William) Watkins of Santa Barbara, CA; Uncles: Ronald of Speedville, FL; Nathaniel Jones Cooper of Orange Park, FL; Benjamin Cooper, Jr. of Keystone Heights, FL; Wilford Cooper of Gainesville, FL; Herbie Cooper of Speedville, FL; Anthony (Linda) Hicks of Gainesville, FL; Billy (Gloria) Grace, Sr. of Gainesville, FL; Stanley McCreary of Lake Butler, FL; Antoine Grace of Santa Barbara, CA; David (Edna) Grace of Concord, NC; and Bella Hall (goddaughter) of Gainesville, FL. Others include a host of sorrowful cousins, friends, and co-workers.