Ann Lewis Cooper

Ann Lewis Cooper was born in Baldwin, New York on April 10th, 1934, the youngest of four children. An active student and athlete with a love of art and music, she played trombone in the band and served as President of the Student Council at Baldwin High School. She began her college career at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she was active in drama and spent lots of time on skis. She graduated from Connecticut College for Women with a degree in Sociology where she also enjoyed being a leader in the College's music program.

In December 1954, Ann married Storrs Warinner, a pilot and navigator in the U.S. Air Force. They had three children, daughters Linda and Beth and son John. The Warriners were a typical Air Force family with frequent relocations and deployments. Ann, however, was anything but typical. A dedicated mother, she combined her natural teaching ability, sense of fun and love of music to enrich her children's days. There wasn't a children's song published that Ann didn't know the lyrics to!

At a cocktail party in 1969, Ann was captivated when a lieutenant's wife announced she had just gotten her pilot's license. On the spot, Ann decided she would do that too. She studied hard, flew often and within three months, had her pilot's license and instrument rating. Her love of flying led to multiple aviation ratings including commercial and glider, ground instructor and receiving her flight instructor certificate. She was an exceptional pilot with over 2,000 flying hours. Calm and confident, Ann was an excellent instructor whose students thrived under her guidance.

When her father died, Ann and her children moved to Oregon. She worked as a flight instructor at Southern Oregon Aviation and had a second job teaching ground school courses at night. When her mother had a stroke in 1982, Ann wanted to care for her and though she still loved it, flying was no longer the priority. She took a course in writing for publication and began to write, eventually publishing 700 articles, largely covering all aspects of aviation.

Ann was a wonderful friend to so many people. One good friend was fellow Air Force wife Karen Cooper. Karen and her husband, Charlie, had frequently double-dated with Ann and Storrs when they were in college. The couples kept in touch over the years and following Karen's death, Ann and Charlie renewed their friendship, leading to their wedding in 1989.

As she continued to publish articles in aviation journals, Ann became a champion for women in aviation. Her motto was "Amelia wasn't the only one!" and she wrote five biographies on women in aviation: Rising Above It, Edna Gardner Whyte (1991); Fire and Air, A Life on the Edge (1995); and How High She Flies (1998) to name a few. With her friend, artist Sharon Rajnus, Ann wrote Stars of the Sky (2008), a compilation of stories about 50 women who were aviation pioneers. Though unable to complete her final biography, the interviews and research she did prior to her illness helped lead to the 2018 publication of Wings of Her Dreams, the story of Kitty Banner Seeman.

Ann also became focused on aviation art. While attending an American Society of Aviation Artists annual forum, she was offered and accepted the editorship of the Society's quarterly newsletter, a position she held for 15 years. When Ann met Roy LaGrone, an artist and Tuskegee Airman, at a reception for The New York Society of Illustrators, she decided to write an article about him. After she met with him, she realized there was much more to his story; thus began Ann and Charlie's first book together, Tuskegee's Heroes, (1995), illustrated by Roy LaGrone. The Coopers collaborated on other books, skillfully blending history and aviation art, including War in Pacific Skies (2003) and Into the Sunlit Splendor (2005). Working with artist and engineer Andrew Whyte, they also co-wrote two "how-to" books: How to Draw Aircraft Like a Pro (2002) and How to Draw and Paint Aircraft (2008).

Throughout her life, Ann was known for her enthusiasm, intelligence and work ethic. Lauded for "inspiring others to dream, to fly and to write" and for her dedication to promoting women in aviation, in 2004, she was inducted into the Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame. For her writing and contributions to her community, Ann was inducted into the Greene County Women's Hall of Fame in 2016.

Ann's joyful nature allowed her to overcome many challenges and make a difference in the lives of others. Her love for her family, her friends and her chosen career inspired everything she did.

In addition to her parents, Ann was preceded in death by her siblings, Mary Helen Lewis and Robert (Bob) Lewis Jr.. Family was a true blessing for Ann. She loved being a mother and step-mother and was so proud of her 18 grand-children and 1 great-grandchild. Ann made it a point to travel and visit with family and friends as much as possible. She leaves behind many friends and so many whose lives she touched during her lifetime.

A visitation will take place at 1:00 PM with a memorial service at 2:00 PM, Saturday, February 15th, 2020 at Southminster Church in Centerville. Reception to follow. For additional information, contact Newcomer Funeral Home in Beavercreek. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions suggested to Women in Aviation International at 3647 OH-503, West Alexandria, OH 45381.

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