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Public Comments - Speeches

Sonia Cooper
June 9, 1999

Every now and then, God shines upon us and shows us his love - through the life of a friend.

Sonia Cooper is my friend and I am a better Christian, a better person, a better friend because of it.

In my world, Sonia Cooper was a rock that helped temper an often-tumultuous sea.

Today, I'm not going to try and encapsulate the life of Sonia Cooper into words - there aren't enough of them.

Instead, I'm here to say that Sonia's passing hurts, a lot.

I don't know what this community will be like without her and I wish I didn't have to learn.

But that wasn't the plan and we are here to try and explain the unexplainable.

We are here, now, because Sonia Cooper lived.

We are here to celebrate her life and what that life meant.

We are here because Sonia loved - she loved the many, and the few, and The One.

We are here because within the scope of her life, she touched us - every single one of us.

Sonia, I want you to know that I finally figured it out.

The answer is 1 Corinthians 13...

That chapter is the why behind your what - it is the portrait of your faith and the way you lived it.

Sonia, you were patient.

You were kind.

You were not envious - you did not boast.

You were not overly proud, nor rude, nor self-serving.

You did not anger easily, and you kept no record of wrongs.

You always trusted, you hoped and you persevered.

But mostly, Sonia, you always loved, always...

You understood how to be faithful, and hopeful and you recognized that love, love - is the still the greatest of these.

You didn't do it in an overt way but instead in your own way - in everything you said and did.

Sonia - Karen and I didn't really get to know you until two summers ago.

Ever since then, you have become an increasingly important part of our life.

You were the first to encourage me to run - always willing and eager to help.

Your laugh, your smile, your hugs - and your energy, your energy... are enduring memories for me.

Your infectious optimism kept us, all of us, going even when we didn't always understand why.

Sonia, This community is in many ways a reflection of your attention.

You were the head cheerleader, the coach and the booster club all rolled into one - you were our energizer bunny, you kept going, and going, and going...

Every kid you helped, every neighbor you weren't too busy for, every visitor you touched - these, these are your living monuments, your lasting footprints.

In a very real sense, you helped redefine what the word 'community' means, at least for us.

Sonia, thank you for sharing yourself with us and allowing us to know you...

You are an inspiration that I cannot, will not forget.

And eventhough you won't be walking the sidewalks of downtown any longer, I know that your spirit never left, and never will.