Funerals have been held for a 3-year-old boy killed in a tornado last week.
Visitation for Cooper Christopher Drake will be Thursday from 2 to 7 p.m. and Friday from 10 to 11 a.m. in the DiPonia Room of the Vistatech Center on the Schoolcraft College campus, Fred Wood Funeral Home said. The center is at 18600 Haggerty Road, near Interstate 275 and Seven Mile Road in Livonia.
A funeral service is planned for 11 a.m. Friday in DiPonia Hall.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Livonia First Responders Foundation, 37637 Five Mile Road, Suite 911, Livonia, MI 48154.
“Please let’s celebrate this beautiful 3-year-old in style,” Cooper’s obituary on the funeral home’s website reads. “Please wear jeans and your favorite character’s shirt. Some of his favorites were Spiderman, Ninja Turtles and Trucks.”
He also expressed his family’s gratitude for the support they received.
“The Drake family would like to express their sincere thanks to the remarkable community of friends, family, and strangers who have surrounded them during this incredibly difficult time. Your love and support has been and continues to be deeply felt. appreciated. Thank you very much.”
Two GoFundMe campaigns were launched on behalf of the family, then merged into one. Organizers of the effort said they raised $429,972. The GoFundMe page also includes Cooper’s obituary from Livonia Funeral Home.
A tornado that swept through Livonia last Wednesday toppled a tree onto Cooper’s home in the 14000 block of Houghton Street, authorities said. He was killed and his mother, Corinne, was injured.
Cooper’s two-week-old brother and grandmother were also in the home at the time of the tornado but were not injured, authorities said.
Cooper’s family said he was “the sweetest, funniest boy. He was perfection to his mother and father. His vivid imagination and love of animals led to many children’s stories and adventures .”
They also said he loved people. “(He often participated) in conversations with his children, whether at the grocery store or at the park,” according to the obituary. “He loved being with his family and never wanted them to leave when they were together.”
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