Valerie M. Cooper died May 1. She was 84.
Cooper was born in Sharon, Pa. in 1927. She moved to Los Angeles to attend acting school at Ben Bard Drama, now known as Theatre of Arts.
Cooper moved to Malibu in the 1960s. She liked the town’s friendly locals and scenic beauty, namely the way “the mountains meet the sea.”
Cooper was a member of the Malibu Historical Society and worked as a writer and staff member at The Malibu Times. In the late ’70s, she began working at the Malibu Chamber of Commerce and was an influential force in attempting to reroute semi-trucks from Pacific Coast Highway.
Cooper is survived by her brother Arthur Conte, her children George Cooper III, Christine Alton, Mary Leavitt and Kerry Germain, and her grandchildren Kameron Alton, Ryal Alton and Jack Germain.
A private ceremony will take place, at which time her ashes will be scattered over the ocean.