Jasper Cooper
Registered Civil Engineer (RCE 9622)
Born: March 17, 1926. Died: July 16, 2007.

Jasper Cooper, a well known Civil Engineer and Land Surveyor in Contra Costa County, died July 16, 2007 in Martinez. He was 81 years old. Born in Oklahoma, Cooper moved with his family to the Sierra foothills in the 1930s. He attended Modesto Junior College and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1951. He began his career with the State of California Division of Highways, performing route surveys in the Sierra foothills. He then joined the City of Berkeley where he met Gus Leptien and Frank Cronin. Together, in 1955 they formed Leptien, Cronin, & Cooper, Civil Engineering and Land Surveying of Martinez, a firm which continues to this day.

Cooper was trained as a Civil Engineer and served as Contract City Engineer for the Cities of Brentwood and Martinez during his long career. He was also a Registered Traffic Engineer, but it was as a surveyor that he made his mark. He laid out the test track for the first section of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system in the mid-1960s and provided surveys and control for many major arterial streets in Contra Costa County including Kirker Pass Road, Willow Pass Road, Taylor Boulevard, Treat Boulevard, Concord Boulevard, Arlington Way and Leland Road. He performed control surveys for several wharfs and piers, and domestic water lines and reservoirs. He was also very well known for his expertise in right-of-way engineering and boundary resolution.

He was a member of the California Land Surveyors Association, the American Public Works Association and a founding member of the East Bay Chapter of the Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California (CELSOC). He was also a fellow in the American Congress of Surveying and Mapping. Jasper was recently given a lifetime achievement award by the American Public Works Association.

Jasper Cooper was a resident of Martinez for 52 years. He retired in 1995 and spent his retirement traveling and spending time with family at his mountain home near Arnold. Jasper was married to Freda (Beaman) Cooper, who preceded him in death. He is survived by his son Bill of Martinez, daughters Garnett McClure of Pleasanton and Vali Bedey of Arnold, and by four grandchildren.

A memorial service was held at 11:00 AM on Friday, July 20 at Connolly and Taylor Funeral Home in Martinez. Donations to the CELSOC Scholarship Fund or a favorite charity are preferred. Donations to the CELSOC Scholarship Fund can be sent to: 1303 J Street, Suite 450, Sacramento, CA 95814.