Ruta Terzens Cooper

Ruta Terzens Cooper, 81, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, passed away peacefully on October 5, 2025.

Ruta was born on February 7, 1944, in Bauska, Latvia, during World War II, to Arnold Morics Terzens and Nina Terzens Karklis. As a displaced Latvian, she immigrated to the United States in 1950, arriving at Ellis Island aboard the USNS General R. M. Blatchford. She settled in Hudson, New York, where she graduated from Hudson High School in 1962.

Following graduation, Ruta embarked on an exciting career as a stewardess for Eastern Airlines. In 1970, she married E. Gerald Cooper, and shortly thereafter moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she made her home for over fifty years.

Ruta was an avid perfume collector with an appreciation for fine fragrances and loved to collect antiques. She was a passionate boater and explorer who loved adventure, particularly treasuring time spent in the Bahamas with her family. Above all, she cherished her children and grandchildren, and loved her faithful companion, her dog Molly.

Ruta was preceded in death by her husband, E. Gerald Cooper (2010); her father, Arnold Morics Terzens (1947); and her mother, Nina Terzens Karklis (2014). She is survived by her beloved sister, Aina Terzens DiMartino; her daughter, Robyn Wasserman; her son, Caldwell Cooper; four cherished grandchildren: Emilie Wasserman, Sophia Wasserman, Joseph Cooper, and Jaxson Cooper; her niece and nephew, Kristine and Louis DiMartino; and great-nieces and great-nephews: Emily, Alexandra, Victoria, Isabella, and Logan.

No services are planned at this time. The family asks that you remember Ruta's adventurous spirit and the love she shared with those around her.

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