Cooper Aerobics CEO Dr. Tyler Cooper is being remembered as a “compassionate leader and physician” following his death Oct. 21 of cancer.
Cooper Fitness Center shared the news of Tyler’s death following a nine-month battle with acute myeloid leukemia in an email to membership.
“A compassionate leader and physician, Tyler believed in meeting people where they were, giving grace to help them improve their health and live longer, more productive lives. He considered our members and staff as an extension of the Cooper family and strove to demonstrate integrity in every action he took. In addition to the people’s lives he touched, Tyler has left his mark on Cooper Fitness Center,” the letter read.
Tyler joined the fitness empire founded by his father, Dr. Kenneth Cooper, becoming its CEO in 2014.
“Tyler followed in his father, Dr. Kenneth Cooper’s, footsteps as a preventive medicine physician, dedicated to helping people improve the quality and quantity of their lives. This loss is felt deeply by the entire Cooper Clinic/Cooper Aerobics team, and our hearts go out to Tyler’s wife, Angie and their three children, Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth Cooper and his sister Berkley and her family,” Cooper Aerobics said in an Oct. 23 statement. “Day-to-day operations of Cooper Aerobics’ six diverse health and wellness companies continue to be managed under the combined leadership of our executive team, which includes Brad Wilkins, President, Cooper Health & Fitness; Rob Nelson, President, Cooper Services; and me, Dr. Camron Nelson, President & CEO, Cooper Clinic. Cooper Aerobics Founder & Chairman Dr. Kenneth Cooper remains actively engaged in the leadership of our organization.”
During his tenure as CEO, Tyler led a major renovation of Cooper Fitness Center in 2014, and another 6,000-square-foot expansion that added a second-floor mezzanine level and pickleball courts in 2024.
Cooper also served as a member of the Baylor University Board of Regents. He’d earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor prior to earning a Doctor of Medicine from The University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio and a Master of Public Health in Health Care Management from Harvard School of Public Health.
“Dr. Tyler Cooper was not only a Baylor Regent, but he was a Baylor parent, a Baylor graduate and a former Baylor champion track and cross-country student-athlete,” said Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone. “As a preventive medicine physician, he was dedicated to helping improve the quality of people’s lives. As a Baylor Regent, he was passionate about the Baylor student experience and the University’s Christian mission. Surpassing all, however, was Tyler’s deep love for his family and his enduring faith in Jesus Christ. The Baylor Family and I extend our deepest sympathies to Tyler’s wife, Angie, and their three children, Clark, Lang and Kai. We are holding them close in our hearts and in our prayers now and in the days ahead as they remember their beloved husband and father.”
Prior to his death, Tyler served as Vice Chair of the Board of Regent’s Advancement Committee, where he helped lead the creation of a Regents Scholarship for Baylor students, according to a statement by the university.
“On behalf of the Baylor Board of Regents, we are heartbroken by the passing of Regent Dr. Tyler Cooper,” said Todd Patterson, founding partner of Patterson + Sheridan law firm in Houston and chair of the Baylor Board of Regents. “For the past five years, Dr. Cooper faithfully served his alma mater, bringing thoughtful leadership to the Board animated by his Christian faith and an unwavering commitment to the University he loved. We grieve this loss and will miss his presence and perspective greatly. To his wife, Angie, and beloved children, we extend our heartfelt prayers, sympathy and support during this difficult time.”
The North Texas Food Bank, where Tyler served as a board member from 2016-2022, remembered him as “a dedicated advocate for community health and hunger relief.”
“Dr. Cooper was a dedicated advocate for community health and hunger relief, and his leadership strengthened NTFB’s mission to nourish North Texans in need. We are grateful for his years of service and the lasting impact he made on our organization and the neighbors we serve,” the North Texas Food Bank shared in a social media post.
Tyler was also remembered as an avid climber. He reached his goal in 2021 of reaching the summit of all 74 14,000-foot mountains in the contiguous U.S. by the time he reached the age of 50, culminating with Mount Langley in California.
(Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with a statement from Cooper Aerobics and a statement from the North Texas Food Bank).
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