Firefighter Cooper Bailey’s gear hangs in his locker inside the Paradise Fire Department Monday. Cooper, along with his wife, Jennifer, and son, Hudson, were killed in a 4-fatality wreck Saturday, March 14 on Farm Road 51 in Cooke County. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
Cooper, Jennifer and Hudson Bailey. SUBMITTED
Paradise firefighter Cooper Bailey’s absence was noticeable inside the fire station Monday, as his fellow firefighters gathered to share stories and grieve with one another.
Cooper was one of four people killed in a two-vehicle wreck Saturday evening on Farm Road 51 in Cooke County. His wife, Jennifer, and son, Hudson, also died in the wreck after the Bailey’s vehicle was struck head-on by a vehicle attempting to pass in a No-Passing Zone. The driver of the other vehicle also was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Baileys’ daughter, Lilah — a student at Decatur ISD’s STEM Academy at Enis Elementary School — survived the wreck, and was transported to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth.
Several families are now grieving — family members of the Baileys, including the Salazars, the family of the other driver, and the family of firefighters around the area who got to know Cooper and his loved ones well.
In four short years on the job, Cooper developed a reputation of always being willing to help others in any way that he could, Wise County ESD No. 3 Chief Jeremy Goodman said.
“He was just the guy that always showed up, and that’s a big deal in the volunteer fire service,” Goodman said. “He was always here. He’s the guy you’d call at 3 a.m. when you’ve got a flat tire in West Texas, and he’d be there no matter how long it takes.”
Cooper began his service with Paradise Fire Department in 2022, serving as an out-of-district member while living in Decatur. A few years later, he made the move to Paradise, and lived in a house located directly behind the fire station.
Cooper’s passion for the fire service grew at the Paradise Fire Department — whether on or off duty. He was enrolled in Firefighter I and Firefighter III courses, and had recently completed his EMT training.
“He was pretty much 100 percent committed. When Cooper was available, he was here,” Paradise fire chief Darrell Rutledge said. “He was also very committed to developing himself professionally, too. Actually, he was about to test for his EMT certification.”
Along with his shift responsibilities, Cooper also took pride in helping the department with fundraisers and helping with fire prevention programs, parades and send-offs at Paradise ISD. Wherever he could help, that’s where Cooper wanted to be.
“He was always at work, and there were times that we’d have to tell him, ‘You’ve got to slow down — you’re here for everything,'” Paradise firefighter Cade Goodman said. “He was definitely a go-getter. He’d be on calls for two or three nights straight without any sleep. There were times that we’d be working, and he’d just show up. Every time the tones went off, he was here. The drive he had to help this community was very impressive.”
Rutledge believes Cooper’s impact will continue to be felt for years to come, while his absence will be a void difficult to fill.
“In my opinion, it’ll be almost impossible task to replace [Cooper],” he said. “The only thing we can do is hope that people will step up and try to fill those shoes. He’s going to be irreplaceable because of the things he did for us and our community. Bottom line, he was a great firefighter and a fantastic person. He’s someone I’ll never forget.”
Cooper and Jennifer were married in September 2025. It wasn’t uncommon to see Jennifer, Lilah and Hudson inside the fire station, whether it was bringing in food for firefighters or leading a hand to help with department chores.
“It takes a special woman to allow her spouse to give his time to something like this,” Cade Goodman said. “And she never complained. She was always pushing Cooper to go to school, go run on calls and take the time off to better himself… There were days that Cooper was in charge of watching the kids, and he’d bring the kids over here and they’d push a broom or load water in the refrigerator.”
Jennifer was the co-director at The Learning Ladder in Decatur. She loved working with kids, according to those who knew her.
Director Jessica Chambers reflected on working alongside Jennifer, who began as a Tiny Tot teacher focused on 12 to 18-month-olds. She spent seven years at the Learning Ladder.
“Jennifer was an intricate part of The Learning Ladder,” Chambers said. “I was a toddler teacher, and we worked diligently back and forth. As I took over for the previous owner, [Jennifer] was promoted to assistant director, and then co-director. She was a fantastic teacher, and she was completely passionate and cared deeply about what she did.”
Chambers and Jennifer not only had a work relationship, but also developed a deep friendship through their time together.
“We shared the office, and even as co-director, everything went through Jennifer,” Chambers said. “I jokingly told the girls often when they would come and speak to me that I had to pass it by her first. She loved her work, and it’s such a giant loss for us.”
According to Chambers, both Lilah and Hudson — who was born deaf — went through The Learning Ladder’s program, and were the jewels of Jennifer’s eyes.
“She was so proud of her children and the beautiful people they were,” Chambers said. “She celebrated every accomplishment that they achieved, and she was a proud mama. She was really good with her family.
According to a report KXII 12 News, Lilah — the sole survivor of the wreck — was reportedly pulled out of the Baileys’ burning vehicle by passing motorists Sarah Donica and John Pitre.
“My initial thought was knowing something needed to be done — even though the car was on fire,” Pitre told the station.
According to Donica, she and Pitre — along with another bystander that they did not know — climbed on top of the vehicle, forcing open a door to reach Lilah, who was screaming out.
“When we heard the little girl, we just tried harder,” Donica said. “[They] managed to get on top of the car, [got] the door open to get her out, and [they handed] her down to me… The loss of three people in one family is, I just can’t even imagine.”
Decatur STEM Academy counselor Brooklynn Stapleton and teacher Micaela Walter paid a surprise visit to second-grader Lilah Bailey at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth Monday. Lilah sustained injuries in a two-vehicle wreck that killed her parents — Cooper and Jennifer — and younger brother — Hudson — Saturday, March 14 on Farm Road 51 in Cooke County. SUBMITTED
The STEM academy second grader suffered multiple injuries including spinal fractures, broken wrist and arm, broken nose, sprained and strained neck ligaments, a lacerated kidney and an air pocket in one of her lungs, according to Enis Elementary counselor Brooklynn Stapleton.
“Lilah is precious — she’s a leader and a light, and so much of that comes from her mom,” Stapleton said. “She’s so smart and articulate, and she’s a good friend and all of the other little things. With Hudson being deaf, she and her PE teacher — Coach [Sammy] Alaniz, who used to teach sign language — would go back and forth signing to one another. He would teach Lilah new things that she would take home and show her brother.”
Stapleton and Lilah’s teacher, Micaela Walter, surprised the 8-year-old with a visit at the hospital Monday, bringing gifts to both Lilah and her family that her class and school had collected. The two educators also played a part in Lilah’s recovery, leaning helping hands to assist her on a walk.
“They needed her to roll over in order for her to get up, and she wouldn’t do it and kept saying, ‘It’s going to hurt,” Stapleton said. “I told her we’ve got to get her up and walking around, and Michaela was telling her, ‘I’ve got your back.’ Everyone left the room because they were thinking her teacher was going to be able to do more than they could. We got her up and made a lap around the whole floor.”
Stapleton said the Enis, Decatur and Wise County communities have already stepped up to help support Lilah on her recovery journey.
“We operate as Decatur — that’s just what we do — and it even extends out to Paradise,” Stapleton said. “I have no doubt that our STEM family will just wrap her up. In one day alone, the room mothers of the kids in Lilah’s class helped to raise $700 so her family can have gas money. Several parents have asked what they can do for her family, and some of the stuff is ‘the sky’s the limit’ kind of stuff… Our families in Decatur are always ready at go — we find out what the needs are, and we’ll fill them. If a need comes up, our people are so giving that it’s going to be taken care of.”
Wise County ESD No. 3 shared funeral service information for Cooper, Jennifer and Hudson Wednesday. Services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church Decatur under the direction of Hudson and Torres Funeral Home in Bridgeport.
An online fundraiser has been set up, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the family. To donate, visit wcmess.com/baileys.
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