Glenn Thomas "Tommy" Cooley, Jr.

1960 - 2013

Glenn Thomas "Tommy" Cooley, Jr. obituary, 1960-2013, Memphis, TN

BORN

1960

DIED

2013

FUNERAL HOME

Memphis Funeral Home - Poplar

5599 Poplar Ave

Memphis, Tennessee

Glenn Cooley, Jr. Obituary

Published by Legacy Remembers on Aug. 16, 2013.

Glenn Thomas Cooley, Jr., "Tommy", passed away Wednesday, August 15, 2013, at the age of 53.

He was born in Memphis, Tennessee on January 31, 1960 to the late Glenn Cooley, Sr. and Dortha Trent. He is survived by his stepmother Carolyn Cooley Rogers, his brothers George Cooley, James Cooley, and Geoff Cooley, his children Matthew Cooley and Katie Cooley, and a grand-daughter, Phoebe Fox.

Tommy was a member of Faith Baptist Church, and his faith carried him through many years of illness. He will be deeply missed by everyone that got the chance to know him.

A memorial service will be held at Faith Baptist Church in Bartlett, TN on Monday, August 19 at 3:00 PM.

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June 9, 2014

Ann Darcy Hooker

To the family of Tommy, I am so sorry to hear about your loved one's passing. I knew Tommy before I moved from Memphis around 2005 or so. We used to attend single's activities at Bellevue Baptist and met many times at Starbucks with the group. He was kind enough to accompany me to a musical at North Hall in downtown Memphis. He really didn't want to go, but he agreed to because he knew it would make me happy. He was a fine man and he had a strong faith in God. I felt he had a steady hand in dealing with his illness and with people and situations. God received another angel.

August 21, 2013

Beth Harp

I met Tommy only briefly but was so impressed and humbled by his sincere faith that was like that of a child. I had heard so many wonderful things about him. I know he is conversing with Jesus himself now - and in his "perfect body" now and that should give comfort to all his loved ones and friends.He will be missed by all.

August 19, 2013

Judy Perry

Tommy was such a good person to talk to or work with. He helped a lot of people when they needed help. He did not complain about all the health problems he had he would just ask everyone how they were doing and if he could do anything to help. He will definitely be missed.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

August 18, 2013

Lynn Null

I have known Tommy for 30+ years.I have been with Tommy through some of his ups and downs in that time and he has been there for me through some of mine.We both got to know each others kids and friends.Looking back at the past, I can't put into words how much I'm going to miss him. His faith in the Lord was something to behold as anyone who knew him would tell you. He once told me he had somewhat of a trouble sharing the Gospel of Christ with the lost,even though he wanted to.Everyone has their own special gifts from God, and I truly believe Tommy's gift was supporting,caring,gifting, and encouraging other Christians.I have got that kind of compassion many time from Tommy and I do know others who have been uplifted by knowing him.
His church family was huge.I have no doubt that he has now received his full reward from our Lord!

August 18, 2013

Tommy told me a story a few years ago about a time after learning that walking the Christian life was filled with stumbling blocks. The way I remember it is that he was at Leawood Baptist church at some kind of function in the Gym. I don't remember what happened there but Tommy became angry with God and in frustration he took his Bible and put it on the top row of some shelves and left it there.

He said that he left the church and wanted nothing to do with God because he did not think he could trust Him. For several years he went back to his old way of life and did not think very much about God or Leawood Baptist Church. After wandering for a good while, I think they were having some music or something in the gym at Leawood Baptist Church and he decided to go.

As he was walking in the church he remembered that he had left Leawood in anger and wondered if God was real or not. He started silently praying for God to show him if he was real or not and not knowing how God would answer or if he would.

He walked into the Gym and his eyes were drawn to the shelf that he had placed his Bible and when he looked, there was a book where he had left his Bible. He walked over to see if it was his bible or not, he realized that his bible was indeed right there where he left it and he realized that he had left God but that God had never left him. He was truly amazed that his bible had been there all those years or had it? Maybe God just put it there when Tommy needed a word from God. We don't know if it was there all those years or not but we do know that Tommy never lost his faith in God again and that after that he was a changed man and that he wanted all his family and friends to be saved so that they would be able to spend eternity with him in Heaven.

Also most of you know that Tommy has gone thru several surgeries in the past 5-6 years and after one of the major surgeries he was in the recovery room, and when he started waking up he recognized the voice of one of his old friends that he had not seen in several years and after talking a couple of minutes, Tommy knowing that he only had a few minutes to talk with his friend started witnessing to his friend there in the recovery room.

I remember so many times that Tommy would come to a church function and although he had many problems of his own he would almost always bring someone with him that needed to know the love that only God can bestow on a person.

If you count Tommy as one of your friends or was a part of his family, I can tell you for certain that Tommy wants you to know that Jesus is real and that He loves you and will save you just like he did for Tommy.

Tommy loved life more than anyone I know and was not ready to go because he wanted to make sure is friends and family would spend eternity in heaven with him, but God had a different plan and I believe God has already told Tommy "Well done, thou good and faithful servant".
DeWayne Hartsoe Bartlett TN

August 18, 2013

Suzanne Hayes

Tommy has blessed and enriched my life in numerous ways and taught me much. I have marveled, for years, as I've watched Tommy endure endless physical trials while praising and trusting God to meet him & provide for him, at every turn. To me, it seemed that Tommy's life was a “stage” that God used to display so much to so many of us who were blessed by his friendship and awed by his responses to those trials. I've often looked at Tommy's life as that of a modern day “Job” among us.He rendered me speechless, so often, as I observed his humility and endless gratitude to his Creator for the blessings,in the midst of what I viewed as daily, indescribably difficult challenges in his life. He loved life and deeply valued and cared about every individual that crossed his path. His compassion & passionate heart for the “lost” was remarkable indeed and I believe his greatest desire was to share, with all he met, the love and care that he felt and experienced from the Lord.
What a tremendous opportunity God gave all of us, through Tommy, to truly witness the beauty of the body of Christ working together to display His provision, majesty and love to a world in such desperate need.
From my perspective, Tommy, on any given day, could have chosen from a very long list of things to complain or feel victimized by, yet I don't recall a time that he did or a time that I didn't feel God's presence whenever I was with Tommy. Psalm 22 assures us that “God inhabits the praises of His people”. In my life, Tommy was God's “poster child” for that kind of gratitude.
Thank you so very much, Tommy, my dear friend, for the deep object lesson on gratitude and humility that your life has modeled and taught me. It truly has been an inexplicable privilege for me to be counted among your multitude of friends and allowed, with so many others, to be a small part of the amazing work that you allowed the Lord to so beautifully accomplish in your life. I rejoice that you are finally free of the many afflictions that bound you, (physically yet not spiritually), on this earth and that you are now finally free and “kicking up gold dust” with our blessed Savior, whom you served so well!
I will miss you greatly, remember you and all that God has taught me through you always, and look forward to seeing you on the other side to share in the true riches that await all of us who know and love Him!

August 17, 2013

Jim Crawford

I was thinking about Tommy last night on the way home from work - wondering how his first full day (in earth terms) must be like in his new residence in eternal life. If there were such thing as earning your stripes for entry into eternal life, TC did it time and time again with the suffering and pain that he endured! He was one "tough cat/top cat", "TC" (goes back to the more than nine lives theory.)Even though I didn't know Tommy well or see him a lot, his "homegoing" hits home, with me particularly, since both of us were about the same age. It's hard to see people endure what Tommy did on this earth. (a real picture of God's amazing grace) I am very happy and glad for Tommy in his transition to his new heavenly home.

August 17, 2013

Karen Wheat

I did not know Mr. Tommy but I am in the Sunday School class at Faith in which some of the classmates were helping out. May you find peace knowing he is with Jesus now.

August 17, 2013

Suzanne Hayes

Tommy has blessed and enriched my life in numerous ways and taught me much. I have marveled, for years, as I've watched Tommy endure endless physical trials while praising and trusting God to meet him & provide for him, at every turn. To me, it seemed that Tommy's life was a “stage” that God used to display so much to so many of us who were blessed by his friendship and awed by his responses to those trials. I've often looked at Tommy's life as that of a modern day “Job” among us. He rendered me speechless, so often, as I observed his humility and endless gratitude to his Creator for the blessings, in the midst of what I viewed as daily, indescribably difficult challenges in his life. He loved life and deeply valued and cared about every individual that crossed his path. His compassion & passionate heart for the “lost” was remarkable indeed and I believe his greatest desire was to share, with all he met, the love and care that he felt and experienced from the Lord.
What a tremendous opportunity God gave all of us, through Tommy, to truly witness the beauty of the body of Christ working together to display His provision, majesty and love to a world in such desperate need.
From my perspective, Tommy, on any given day, could have chosen from a very long list of things to complain or feel victimized by, yet I don't recall a time that he did or a time that I didn't feel the presence of the Lord whenever I was with Tommy. Psalm 22 assures us that “God inhabits the praises of His people”. In my life, Tommy was God's “poster child” for that kind of gratitude.
Thank you so very much, Tommy, my dear friend, for the deep object lesson on gratitude and humility that your life has modeled and taught me. It truly has been an inexplicable privilege for me to be counted among your multitude of friends and allowed, with so many others, to be a small part of the amazing work that you allowed the Lord to so beautifully accomplish in your life. I rejoice that you are finally free of the many afflictions that bound you, physically yet not spiritually, on this earth and that you are now finally free and “kicking up gold dust” with our blessed Savior, whom you served so well!
I will miss you greatly, remember you and all that God has taught me through you always, and look forward to seeing you on the other side to share in the true riches that await all of us who know and love Him!

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