Gara Oliver Cooper

Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol — Austin, TX

Accident Veteran

End of Watch October 2, 1970

Age 55

Tour of Duty 23 yrs

The Vigil Panel 107 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 94

Incident

Sergeant Gara Cooper was struck and killed by a vehicle while directing traffic. Sergeant Cooper was a United States Army veteran of World War II. He had been with the Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol for 23 years and had been stationed at Marshall.

Survivors

Sergeant Cooper was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-45609A1F
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Gara. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Sergeant Cooper gave the Texas Department of Public Safety 23 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Texas, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol

Location Austin, TX

Platform Identity tdpsthp.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 2, 1970

Tour of Duty 23 yrs

Age 55

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Gara Oliver Cooper served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Sergeant Gara Oliver Cooper is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In TX, 653 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27% of this state's fallen. That is 4 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.

At Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol, 56 of 95 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 58.9% of this agency's fallen.

Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol

of 95 officers

58.9% Accident

TX — Statewide

653

of 2,421 officers

27% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident