Pest Management Professional, May 2017

Norm believed and his life confirmed that placing A life well lived Industry icon Norm Cooper showed us how to make the most of our time here By Marty WhItford Publisher Editorial Director T he last time I talked to Norm Cooper was just like the family first gives one the strength to accomplish great things for others both in and outside the industry first Our conversation comprised tangent after tangent It wasnt until a week later that I could consume all of the nuggets of wisdom that this industry and life mentor had fed me During the call I kept trying to get Norm back on track as I saw it to cast his votes for the Pest Management Professional PMP Hall of Fame Class of 2017 Norm kept trying to get me an admitted workaholic back on track in life Marty youre truly blessed Norm imparted just seven days before his April 5 passing You have a great family Take care of them Spend time with them Love them Thats what really matters And make sure your Jamie our 21 year old with Down syndrome knows hes a true superhero He can do anything in this life and he brings out the best in us A year ago Norm sent Jamie the Ike flak jacket he wore during the Korean Conflict along with a touching letter Jamie attended Norms funeral and burial service with me proudly sporting the flak In memorIAm IndusTry loses a legend norm Cooper After a year long fight with a blood disorder known as myelodysplastic syndrome MDS Norm Cooper passed away April 5 Cooper 85 served the professional pest management industry for 63 years A native New Yorker Cooper founded Abby Exterminating Services in 1954 grossing just 35 in his first month But Cooper kept at it and by 1971 was able to sell Abby to Exterminating Services Co ESCO then a division of Warner Communications Cooper was ESCOs president from 1972 to 1996 After that Cooper offered the industry merger and acquisition M A consulting services first through Norman Cooper Associates and later as part of PCO Bookkeepers Cooper served as president of the National Pest Control Association now named National Pest Management Association from 1991 to 1992 The one time aspiring artist was interested in promoting a theme of Guardians of the Environment for the industry and designed a logo that was adopted by the association and used throughout the 1990s until it rebranded as NPMA You can view several of Coopers Chinese art paintings online at MyPMP net NormCooperPaintings Cooper and his wife Marilyn regularly traveled internationally on behalf of the industry including one special trip With the help of Pi Chi Omega the Coopers helped Russian entomologists Drs Igor and Inna Uspensky leave the Soviet Union for Israel The Coopers also took each of their granchildren on an extended excursion abroad for his her bar bat mitzvah The Cooper family requests any memorial contributions be made to support research being led by Norms doctor to find a cure for MDS Dr Lewis Silverman Research Program Mount Sinai Medical Center One Gustave Levy Place P O Box 1079 New York NY 10029 Photos the family of Norm CooPer mypmp net Pest Management Professional May 2017 33