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Camala K. (Cooper) Tharpe

Camala Keoki (Cooper) Tharpe of Harris County, TX was born on November 16, 1948 at Honolulu, HI, USA in Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii United States to Leroy Gordon Cooper Jr. She has a sister Janita Lee Cooper. Camala Cooper married Allen H. Tharpe on December 21, 1968 in Montgomery County, TX and they later divorced on April 9, 1974 in Harris County.

Camala Keoki (Cooper) Tharpe

Camala Keoki (Cooper) Tharpe, Camala Tilotta

Harris County, TX

November 16, 1948

Honolulu, HI, USA in Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii, United States

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Camala K. (Cooper) Tharpe Camala Tharpe (born 1948)

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Camala Keoki (Cooper) Tharpe's History: 1948

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Introduction

Camala (Cooper) Tharpe is the eldest daughter of Gemini 5 command pilot Leroy Gordon "Gordo" Cooper Jr and Gertrude "Trudy" Bernice (Olson) Cooper, Gordon Cooper's first wife. Camala's sister, Janita, is one year her junior. She also has two half-sisters, Colleen Taylor Cooper, born 1979, and Elizabeth Jo Cooper, born 1980. There is a ship manifest showing that Camala traveled on the USNS Henry Gibbins at the age of 2 from New York, and another travel entry of her arriving at the age of 5 from Rhein Mien Germany to Idlewild Airport in New York. Camala Keoki Cooper married Allen Hamilton Tharpe when she was 20 and he was 19 on December 21, 1968 in Montgomery, Texas. They divorced on April 9, 1974 in Harris County, Texas, after having two children, one of whom was Travis Hamilton Tharpe, born 1971. Camala Tharpe then married Nicholas Carl "Nicky" Tilotta. born on April 12th, 1952 on April 3rd, 1976 in Harris, Texas. An article published in the Albuquerque Tribune in 1965 reported that she was learning to fly when she was 16, see Flying Lesson. Another article highlighted her life when her father worked for NASA, see Astronaut's Daughters Have Good Hookey Excuse.
11/16

1948

Birthday

November 16, 1948

Birthdate

Honolulu, HI, USA in Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii United States

Birthplace

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Ethnicity & Family History

Camala was Caucasian, of English and Norwegian heritage. Her father was born in Oklahoma, her paternal great-grandfather was born in Kentucky, as were several generations before him. His several times great-grandfather, William Abraham Cooper, was born in Virginia in 1725 and Abraham's grandfather, James B. Cooper was born in England in 1661. Her maternal line went back to 4 x great-grandfather, Nels Olson, was born in about 1837 in Norway.
Nationality & Locations

Born in Hawaii, Camala was raised in Houston Texas. She has spent most of her life in Texas.
Early Life & Education

A resident of Texas, Camala attended Clear Creek High School in League City, Texas, where she was known as "Cam".
Military Service

There is no record of Camala having served in the United States military. Her father, an astronaut, served in the United States Air Force as a pilot. He also served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II.
Personal Life & Family

The daughter of astronaut Gordon Cooper, Camala married Allen H. Tharpe and they had two children before they divorced. Camala has been married twice: First, to Allen H. Tharpe and they had one son. Then she married Nicky Tilotta.
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Memories

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4 Memories, Stories & Photos about Camala

Kathy Pinna

32.7k+ favorites

06/10/2024

Camala K. (Cooper) Tharpe

1966 yearbook photo of Camala K. (Cooper) Tharpe at Clear Creek High School in League City, Texas.

Date & Place: circa 1966 in Texas United States

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Daniel Pinna

10.5k+ favorites

10/09/2020

Flying Lesson

FLYING LESSON: Camala Cooper, 16 makes like her flying father, Gemini 5 command pilot L. Gordon Cooper. Camala journeyed to Houston International Airport for a flying lesson but weather prevented her from taking off. She spent her time going over lessons on the ground.

- the Albuquerque Tribune from Albuquerque New Mexico published on August 26, 1965

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Daniel Pinna

10.5k+ favorites

10/09/2020

Astronaut's Daughters Have Good Hookey Excuse

HOUSTON (AP) - Two teen-age girls will play hookey from school Tuesday without fear of being disciplined. Camala Cooper, 14, and her sister, Janita, 13, will remain in their ranch-style home 25 miles east of Houston to keep check on their father - astronaut Gordon Cooper - on what is planned to be the longest U.S. space flight. With them will be their mother, pretty Trudy Olson Cooper. The three plan to remain in seclusion in the rambling home near the $200 million home the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is building for the manned spacecraft center, the training base for astronauts.

Mrs. Cooper and the girls plan to make a brief appearance for the benefit of newsmen only after the end of the flight and Cooper's safe recovery. Their seclusion is expected to last more than 34 hours. Cooper's flight plan calls for a maximum of 22 orbits that would require a little more than 34 hours. His capsule is scheduled to land in the Pacific Ocean late Wednesday afternoon, Houston time.

Mrs. Cooper sidestepped questions this week about the flight. She indicated, however, she was pleased with Cape Canaveral, Fla., reports that preparations for the Tuesday morning launch were proceeding satisfactorily. Tentative plans call for Mrs. Cooper, and possibly the girls, to fly to Honolulu on Thursday to participate in welcoming ceremonies there for their husband and father.

- this article was published in the Big Spring Daily Herald in Texas on May 12th 1963:

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