Vale Jo Cooper AM
We’re deeply saddened to inform of the passing of our Patron Jo Cooper AM.
Josephine Helen Cooper AM passed away peacefully on Thursday 4 September 2025 aged 88, following a brief illness. A highly respected philanthropist, Mrs Cooper AM dedicated much of her life to serving the community and her family.
Born in 1936 in Norwood, Jo married William (Bill) Cooper in 1955 at age 19. It was not the smoothest start to a relationship. As their first date, Bill entered Jo into a beauty contest without her knowledge! Bill remained immensely proud of Jo until his death in 2015.
Jo and Bill began married life on a dairy farm in Mount Compass, where Jo helped Bill break in the new cattle. At Mount Compass, Jo gave birth to her son Timothy and daughter Verity. The family returned to Adelaide and Jo gave birth to two more children, Melanie and Matthew. Bill had commenced work in the family brewery by then and would later become Managing Director, a position he held from 1977 to 2002. Jo loved being part of Coopers Brewery and was a constant and reliable support to Bill.
A dedicated lifelong ambassador for the family company, she was affectionately known as "Mrs Jo" amongst Coopers Brewery's employees and continued to attend staff Christmas dinners long after Bill's passing.
Jo was involved with the Coopers Foundation since our inception in 2006 and served as a Patron from 2015. We have raised and donated more than $8.7 million to charities across Australia, with Jo and Bill personally donating well over $1 million.
Jo was always very proud of the Foundation and a constant source of inspiration and encouragement for our work. She was also a benefactor of more than 100 charities, including St John’s Youth Service, St John Anglican Church, the Neurosurgical Research Foundation, the Burnside Hospital Foundation, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the Adelaide Festival Centre.
She was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2023 for services to the philanthropic sector, and to the Anglican Church of Australia.
A significant contributor to the Norwood Redlegs and avid Adelaide Crows fan, Jo lived life to the fullest. Right until her passing, Jo enjoyed a Coopers Best Extra Stout every evening, and started each weekend sharing a bottle of champagne with her daughters Verity and Melanie.
Jo Cooper is survived by her children Timothy, Verity and Melanie, ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She found tremendous comfort in her faith, giving her the strength to handle life’s challenges.
She said her family was her greatest joy.
Jo will be sorely missed by all who knew her.