Obituary: Donald D. Cooley

Donald D. Cooley, age 84, of Reily, Ohio, passed away on Nov. 1, 2026. 

Don was born in Hueysville, Kentucky (Floyd County) to Gorman and Edna Cooley, who preceded him in death. 

He graduated from Maytown High School and was a member of the baseball and basketball teams earning all-state honorable mention in basketball. 

He graduated from Alice Floyd College and attended Eastern Kentucky University. Served in the U.S. Army with stints at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Fort Bliss, Texas, and Fort Hood, Texas, for which he earned the Army Commendation Medal for meritorious service.

Don retired from Schneider Electric in Oxford, Ohio in 2000, after 32 years in various management roles. He was a member of Miami Whitewater Community Church in Harrison, Ohio and served as an usher and greeter coordinator. His special interests were Labrador retriever dogs, which he bred and loved for 30 plus years, University of Kentucky basketball, gardening and special nieces and nephews.

He married the love of his life and best friend, Laura Mae Bittner Cooley, on April 18, 1981 and they spent 45 wonderful years together.

Don was preceded in death by his parents; his father-in-law, Ralph Bittner and mother-in-law, Florence Bittner; brother, Harold Bo Cooley; sister, Rosetta Lou Campbell; and 15 beloved labradors.

Survivors are his wife, Laura; sisters, Clettus Howard, Mary Woods, Janet Webb, Glema Hicks and Hattie Owens; brother, Carl Cooley; brothers-in-law, Jerry Bittner and David Bittner; many nieces and nephews and their families; and his beloved labrador, Hunter.

This obituary was originally published by Brown Dawson Flick Funeral Home.