2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 98
Celebrating the life of Bettie Minette Cooper.
Agreed to by the Senate, February 12, 2026
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 16, 2026
WHEREAS, Bettie Minette Cooper, a passionate advocate for the arts and transformative civic leader whose service to the Hampton Roads region spanned more than 60 years, died on October 14, 2025; and
WHEREAS, Minette Cooper was born in New York City and began to cultivate her lifelong love of music, the arts, and community service from a young age; and
WHEREAS, Minette Cooper spent part of her youth in Mississippi before returning to New York to attend the Knox School, then continued her education at Smith College in Massachusetts and subsequently earned a degree in musicology from Barnard College in New York; and
WHEREAS, Minette Cooper married her husband, Charles, in 1958, and the couple ultimately settled in his home town of Norfolk in 1962; she quickly became a well-known volunteer who focused on expanding access to arts education, strengthening nonprofit cultural institutions, preserving local heritage, and supporting the Jewish community; and
WHEREAS, Minette Cooper was a longtime volunteer, board member, and chorus member of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and served as president of the organization from 1986 to 1988; and