Margarette (Madge) Bell Cooper

Margarette "Madge" Bell Cooper, a native of Milledgeville, Georgia, passed away unexpectedly on August 24, 2025, in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She was born in Milledgeville on April 30, 1941, the daughter of Francis West Bell and Margarette Napier Bell.

Madge graduated from Ashley Hall in Charleston, South Carolina, in the Class of 1959, and she subsequently attended Goucher College. Upon graduation, she returned to Milledgeville, where she married Talbert Cooper, Jr. Together, they relocated to Florida, where she raised a family as a homemaker. She enjoyed many years of active living, from chasing around four young children to being a fearsome adversary on the tennis courts of South Florida. Additionally, she was an avid golfer and followed the sport with devoted interest. Madge considered herself an undiscovered talent in the world of table tennis and would proudly challenge anyone to a ping pong match if a table was in sight. She loved traveling and had an insatiable curiosity to see and experience cultures around the globe. Most of all, she loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren, who she adored. Throughout her life, she made every effort to compassionately raise her children and grandchildren with kindness and warmth. Since her family meant everything to her, she made it her mission to create a place for traditions to be celebrated and family to gather, and built her beautiful home, Black Lake Hunting Lodge on Napier Pond in Wilkinson County. There, she spent many holidays with family and friends, celebrating life and enjoying delicious meals, where she would always be happy to express her lifelong sentiment, "No meal is complete without dessert".

In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her brother, Miller Stephens Bell. Her memory lives on with her surviving children, Margarette Napier Cooper of Ladson, South Carolina; Grayson Powers of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; Renee Cooper Hardie of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina and Talbert Gray Cooper of Athens, Georgia; and her five grandchildren, Colin Powers, Margarette Bell Hardie, Linden Hardie, Luke Cooper and Miller Cooper.

A private service of remembrance will be held at a future date. Those who wish to remember Madge in a special way may make gifts in her memory to the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

A memorial message may be sent to the family on our website at www.jhenrystuhr.com.