Reverend Perry Lee Cooley, Sr.

Reverend Perry Lee Cooley,Sr. , 85 of Cartersville, Georgia passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at his residence surrounded by his loving family. A Funeral Service will be held on Monday, September 23, 2024 at 1:00P.M. at The Church at Liberty Square, 2001 Liberty Square Drive NE, Cartersville , Georgia 30121. The body will lie in state in the church from 12:00P.M. (Noon) until the hour of service. Interment will follow in Providence Cemetery, 165 Old Tennessee Road NE, Cartersville, Georgia 30121. The family will receive friends on Sunday, September 22, 2024 at Mack Eppinger and Sons Funeral Home, 210 North Bartow Street, Cartersville, Georgia 30120 from 5:00  P.M. - 6:00P.M. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers as they go through this time of bereavement.  This service will be LIVE-STREAMED.

Reverend Perry Lee Cooley, Sr. was born in Taylorsville, Georgia on January 22, 1939 to the late Horace Cooley, Sr. and Ida Bell Dorsey-Cooley. He departed this earthly life on September 17, 2024.

He was educated in the Bartow County School System. He accepted Christ at an early age at Shiloh Baptist Church in Stilesboro, Georgia under the leadership of Reverend W.E.Stevenson. After accepting the call to ministry and attending seminary, he served in different pastoral roles including Assistant and later Interim Pastor of Shiloh. He founded and organized Shiloh's first children's choir that was made up of his children, nieces, nephews and youth from the community. The Shiloh Jr. Choir was well known across Northwest Georgia for their singing and their fashionable attire.

In 1984 he was called to Pastor at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in the Mission Community of Cartersville, Georgia where he served faithfully until his health began to fail.

Reverend Cooley often drew from his favorite scriptures to deliver powerful sermons. Drawing his text from Job 14:1-15; he like Job , faced struggles and trials in his lifetime that would have shaken many, yet his unwavering faith stood as a testament to his strength and hope. One could often hear him preach about , "Dry Bones In The Valley, Hear The Word Of The Lord" from the book of Ezekiel 37:1-14. He painted a vivid picture of the vision of dry bones coming to life reflecting on God's power to renew and restore. As his health declined, his life mirrored those dry bones. Despite his pain and hardships, he never lost faith, always seeing potential where others saw despair.

He frequently referenced the parable of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15:11-32, using it to drive home the topic, "Playboy, It's Time To Come Home". He made sure it was known that no matter our mistakes , God's arms were always open, embracing all with love and forgiveness. From John 3:1-18, he passionately preached from the topic" You Must Be Born Again". He often expressed the importance of spiritual rebirth, emphasizing that it is through being born again that we find our true selves and our place in God's kingdom.

Reverend Cooley loved cars and could name any make or model from the oldest Chevy to the newest Kia. He was a very skilled man and could build anything he put his mind to, including the current family homeplace that he occupied until his passing. He invented many things including go-carts, tractors and was able to rebuild motors and engines to power his four-wheeled ambitions. His sister, Levon recalls when he created a heater using a bucket that was pit inside his 1954 Ford to keep them warm. She and their baby brother, Carey, still have scars on their hands from helping and being his test drivers. His love for fast cars and his creative ideas were not just hobbies, but extensions of his character. In his teenage years, he moved to Atlanta to pursue a trade in plumbing under his brother, Glenn who was a Master Plumber. Years later, he worked for the Georgia Department of Transportation where he grew fond of the John Deere tractor.

Reverend Cooley was always ready to share a joke or make up a new one bringing laughter and lightness into any situation brightening the days of those around him. He married the love of his life, Emma Perkins in 1964, to this union three children were born; Cheryl, Perry,Jr., and Gloria. His grandchildren were also a source of immense joy for him. He was always a great provider for his family and even took on extra jobs doing lawn care ensuring that they never went without. He had a deep passion for helping his neighbors, family, friends and strangers that he met. He was a mentor and father figure to many young people in the community. You could often find him transporting the neighborhood kids to and from baseball games on the back of his truck. He loved them as his own. 

In his final years, despite facing significant health challenges, he remained a beacon of faith and resilience. His journey from the Son of Sharecroppers to an Esteemed Pastor was remarkable.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Horace, Sr. and Ida Bell Dorsey Cooley; brothers, Horace Cooley, Jr., Hubert Cooley, James Cooley, and Glenn Cooley; sisters, Catherine Hardy, Betty Henderson and Elmer Jo Cooley; and a loving grandson, Blake Romar King.

He leaves to cherish his loving memories; his devoted wife of sixty years, Emma Cooley; children, Cheryl Cooley, Perry ( Anissa) Cooley, Jr., and Gloria (Carlos) Calhoun; siblings, Earlene Livsey of Columbus, Georgia, Ralph (Barbara) Cooley of Newington, New Hampshire, Levon Ward of Cartersville, Georgia, and his baby brother, Carey Cooley of Cartersville, Georgia; sisters-in-love, Alma Heard, Margaret McClure and Lucille Perkins all of Rockmart, Georgia; fifteen grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

His spirit and teachings will live on in the lives he touched and the love he shared.

Condolences may be expressed at: www.mackeppingerfuneralhome.com

Mack Eppinger and Sons Funeral Service, Inc. are in charge of the arrangements.

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