Linda Kay Cooper was a teacher and educator whose life became connected to the world of football through her marriage to Jimmy Johnson. She was born in Marked Tree, Arkansas, in 1942 and spent much of her life focused on education and family. While her name is often mentioned alongside Johnson, Cooper had her own career and a life that extended beyond their marriage.
She married Johnson in 1963, and together they raised two sons before their marriage ended in 1990. Cooper later married Roger Kent Aronson and continued her life away from the spotlight surrounding Johnson’s coaching career. She died in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 2003 at the age of 61, leaving behind her children, grandchildren, and other family members.
Linda Kay Cooper Quick Bio
| Category | Details |
| Full Name | Linda Kay Cooper |
| Born | January 17, 1942 |
| Birthplace | Marked Tree, Arkansas, USA |
| Age at Death | 61 |
| Died | October 6, 2003 |
| Place of Death | Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA |
| Parents | Reginald Taft Cooper and Martha Virginia Dixon Cooper |
| Siblings | Teddy Neal Cooper and JoAnn Moody |
| Profession | Educator |
| First Husband | Jimmy Johnson |
| Marriage to Jimmy Johnson | July 12, 1963 |
| Children | W. Brent Johnson and Chad J. Johnson |
| Second Husband | Roger Kent Aronson |
| Grandchild | Lola Grace Johnson |
| Known For | Being Jimmy Johnson’s first wife and an educator |
Who Was Linda Kay Cooper?
Linda Kay Cooper was an American educator who is best known for her marriage to football coach Jimmy Johnson. She was born on January 17, 1942, in Marked Tree, Arkansas, to Reginald Taft Cooper and Martha Virginia Dixon Cooper. Cooper later built a career in education and worked as a teacher in different parts of the world. Although her name is often connected with Johnson, her own career and family life were important parts of her story.
Cooper married Jimmy Johnson on July 12, 1963, and they had two sons, W. Brent Johnson and Chad J. Johnson. The couple eventually divorced in January 1990 after more than two decades of marriage. Cooper later married Roger Kent Aronson and was described as a retired educator. She died in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on October 6, 2003, at the age of 61.
Linda Kay Cooper was an educator, mother, and Jimmy Johnson’s first wife.
Early Life and Family Background
Linda Kay Cooper was born and raised in Arkansas and was the daughter of Reginald Taft Cooper and Martha Virginia Dixon Cooper. She was born in Marked Tree on January 17, 1942, and grew up with her brother Teddy Neal Cooper and sister JoAnn Moody. Her family background was rooted in Arkansas, where her early life began before she eventually pursued a career in education.
Details about Cooper’s childhood are limited, so there is no need to add personal stories or experiences that are not supported. What can be established about her later life is that education became an important part of her career. She eventually worked as an educator and taught in schools in different parts of the world before later retiring from the profession.
Linda Kay Cooper’s early life began in Marked Tree, Arkansas, before she built a career in education.
Linda Kay Cooper’s Parents and Siblings
Linda Kay Cooper was the daughter of Reginald Taft Cooper and Martha Virginia Dixon Cooper. She had two siblings, a brother named Teddy Neal Cooper and a sister named JoAnn Moody. Her family remained part of her personal history, and both her parents and sister had died before Cooper’s own death in 2003.
Her brother Teddy Neal Cooper was among the family members listed as surviving her. Cooper’s family connections also extended to her own children and granddaughter later in life. These family details help establish her background without adding personal stories that are not supported by the available biographical record.
Linda Kay Cooper grew up in a family with two siblings, Teddy Neal Cooper and JoAnn Moody.
Linda Kay Cooper’s Career as an Educator
Education was an important part of Linda Kay Cooper’s professional life. She worked as an educator and taught in schools in different parts of the world. Her career gave her an identity separate from her connection to Jimmy Johnson, whose football career later became much more prominent in the public eye.
Cooper was described as a retired educator later in her life. Specific details about every school where she worked or the subjects she taught are not necessary to include without strong support. What remains clear is that teaching was a significant part of her working life and continued to be an important part of how she was remembered.
Linda Kay Cooper built her own career in education and later retired from teaching.
Marriage to Jimmy Johnson
Linda Kay Cooper married Jimmy Johnson on July 12, 1963. Their marriage began before Johnson became widely recognized for his later success as a football coach. During their years together, Johnson’s coaching career developed through different stages, while Cooper maintained her own career in education.
The marriage lasted for more than two decades before ending in divorce in January 1990. Cooper and Johnson had two sons during their marriage, W. Brent Johnson and Chad J. Johnson. Their relationship therefore remained an important part of Cooper’s life story, but it was only one part of her broader family and professional life.
Linda Kay Cooper and Jimmy Johnson married in 1963 and divorced in January 1990.
Linda Kay Cooper and Jimmy Johnson’s Family
Linda Kay Cooper and Jimmy Johnson had two sons during their marriage, W. Brent Johnson and Chad J. Johnson. Their children became an important part of Cooper’s family life, and both were listed among her surviving family members when she died in 2003.
Cooper’s family later expanded to include a granddaughter, Lola Grace Johnson. Her family therefore remained an important part of her life beyond her years of marriage to Johnson. The details available about her family focus mainly on her immediate relatives rather than private family activities or traditions.
Linda Kay Cooper and Jimmy Johnson had two sons, and Cooper later became a grandmother.
Linda Kay Cooper’s Children
Linda Kay Cooper had two sons with Jimmy Johnson: W. Brent Johnson and Chad J. Johnson. Both were named in her obituary as her children. At the time of Cooper’s death, Brent was living in Redwood City, California, while Chad was living in Dallas, Texas.
Cooper was also a grandmother to Lola Grace Johnson, who was included among her surviving family members. Her role as a mother and grandmother was an important part of her family life, although detailed information about her relationship with her children was not included in the available biographical details.
Linda Kay Cooper was the mother of W. Brent Johnson and Chad J. Johnson and later became a grandmother.
Life After Her Divorce From Jimmy Johnson
Linda Kay Cooper’s marriage to Jimmy Johnson ended in January 1990, after which she continued with her own life outside their former marriage. She later married Roger Kent Aronson, who was identified as her husband at the time of her death. Cooper continued to be connected with her family and her career in education during the years that followed.
By the later part of her life, Cooper was described as a retired educator. She died on October 6, 2003, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, at the age of 61. Her life after her divorce therefore included a second marriage, retirement from education, and continued family connections until her death.
After her divorce from Jimmy Johnson, Linda Kay Cooper continued her life with a second marriage, family, and her education career.
Who Was Linda Kay Cooper’s Second Husband?
After her marriage to Jimmy Johnson ended, Linda Kay Cooper later married Roger Kent Aronson. He was her husband at the time of her death in 2003. The obituary that recorded her death identifies Aronson as her surviving husband, while also naming her two sons, W. Brent Johnson and Chad J. Johnson, and her granddaughter, Lola Grace Johnson.
There are not many details about Cooper and Aronson’s marriage, including when they married or how they met. Because those details are not clearly established, they are best left out rather than filled with assumptions. What is clear is that Aronson was part of Cooper’s later family life and remained her husband until her death.
Roger Kent Aronson was Linda Kay Cooper’s second husband and her spouse when she died.
When Did Linda Kay Cooper Die?
Linda Kay Cooper died on October 6, 2003, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was 61 years old. She had been born on January 17, 1942, in Marked Tree, Arkansas, making her 61 at the time of her death.
At the time, Cooper was described as a retired educator. Her family included her husband Roger Kent Aronson, her two sons W. Brent Johnson and Chad J. Johnson, her granddaughter Lola Grace Johnson, and her brother Teddy Neal Cooper. A memorial service was later held in Fayetteville on October 18, 2003.
Linda Kay Cooper died in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on October 6, 2003, at age 61.
Linda Kay Cooper’s Life and Legacy
Linda Kay Cooper’s life included several important roles beyond her connection to Jimmy Johnson. She worked as an educator and taught in schools throughout the world before retiring. She was also a mother of two sons and later a grandmother, while her later years included her marriage to Roger Kent Aronson.
Cooper’s story is mainly remembered through her family, teaching career, and first marriage to Johnson. She lived for many years outside the attention surrounding his football career and died in Arkansas in 2003. The details that remain about her life show a woman whose identity extended beyond being the former wife of a famous football coach.
Linda Kay Cooper’s legacy rests on her work as an educator and her role as a mother, grandmother, wife, and family member.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who was Linda Kay Cooper’s first husband?
Jimmy Johnson was Linda Kay Cooper’s first husband.
2. When did Linda Kay Cooper marry Jimmy Johnson?
They married on July 12, 1963.
3. How long were Linda Kay Cooper and Jimmy Johnson married?
They were married for about 26 years, until their divorce in 1990.
4. Did Linda Kay Cooper have children?
Yes, she had two sons, W. Brent Johnson and Chad J. Johnson.
5. What did Linda Kay Cooper do for a living?
She worked as an educator and teacher.
6. Who did Linda Kay Cooper marry after Jimmy Johnson?
She later married Roger Kent Aronson.
7. When did Linda Kay Cooper die?
She died on October 6, 2003, at the age of 61.
Conclusion
Linda Kay Cooper lived a life that went beyond her connection to Jimmy Johnson. She worked as an educator, raised two sons, later married Roger Kent Aronson, and became a grandmother. Her career in education and her family remained important parts of her story.
She died in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on October 6, 2003, at age 61. While many people know her because of her marriage to Jimmy Johnson, her own life included a career in teaching, motherhood, a later marriage, and a lasting place within her family.
