The community is mourning the death of a man who helped shape the non-profit, philanthropic and business landscape in Greater Victoria.
Mel Cooper died Thursday (Feb. 20) at the age of 92.
Born George Melvin Cooper in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Cooper’s name changed when he entered the Island radio landscape in 1951 in Port Alberni where he garnered the name that would stick for decades, according to longtime friend Bruce Williams.
The manager at that station told him “George is no name for a guy on the radio. We’re going to call you Mel,” Williams said.
Cooper came east with his family in 1945 graduating high school from Vancouver College before attending the University of British Columbia. In 1951, Cooper’s broadcasting career took him to Vancouver stations CKWX and CKNW serving as the latter station’s manager in 1970.
He returned to the Island in 1974, joining Keith Dagg as co-owner of Victoria’s CFAX 1070 radio, assuming the roles of president and general manager.
“As we all know he became a great citizen of Victoria and was one of the best people we’ve ever had,” Dagg told the Victoria News. “He’d been unwell for a while but his loss is still hard on all of us.”
By 1979 Cooper was serving on the chamber board, said Williams, current chief executive of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce. It demonstrated his commitment to both community and the value of business in community. He received the Governors’ Lifetime Achievement Award from the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce in 2017 and was inducted in the chamber’s Business Hall of Fame in 2022.
“He loved Victoria,” Dagg said, recalling a great friend who always worked with positivity. “There was no ‘we can’t do that’ in Mel Cooper.
“If something needed to be done, we got together and got it done, that’s what this city’s about. And he was certainly a leader of that.”
Among those many things that shaped both the city and the province, is securing a then world-record $ 170 million in sponsorship as vice president of Expo86.
A member of the Order of Canada and the Order of BC, Cooper also played a crucial role in securing the 1994 Commonwealth Games and served as chairman. He worked on many boards; the standout is the Telus Victoria Community Board where he served from the ’70s right through to his final role as chair emeritus.
“Mel was there to make sure the money was well spent. Even when he just completely stopped working, he never stopped working for the community,” Dagg said.
He spent 30 years as president of Santas Anonymous before officially stepping down in 2011. Thirty-four years earlier, real-estate agent Marilyn Cann appealed for help with her Christmas charity after its media sponsor backed out. Cooper, who owned CFAX at the time, agreed and the charity's been tied to the radio station ever since.
“He donated lots of money to lots of things,” said Williams. “He was eager and willing to share airtime on the radio with non-profits and commit organizations just because it was the right thing to do.”
The most recent philanthropic endeavour was announced during his 90th birthday celebration at Government House in 2023, where the Victoria Foundation officially launched the Mel Cooper Fund for Youth Development and the Performing Arts. The fund seeks to perpetuate Cooper’s legacy of giving and support of youth and the performing arts in British Columbia.
Beyond all – promoting the non-profit world, inspiring philanthropy and business acumen – Cooper stands out as a husband foremost for Williams. And his wife was Cooper’s biggest fan, top supporter and he loved her deeply.
“I’ll remember Mel as Carmela’s husband, because they were just so devoted to each other. It’s really rare to see two people so devoted to each other, they completed each other,” Williams said. “Right up until the end they were holding hands."
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