Mary Hillis Barksdale Cooke, 76, beloved wife of Alan Cooke, died peacefully after an illness on May 22, 2019. She was pre-deceased by her parents, Henry Stacey and Mary Whaley Barksdale.
A native Augustan, she attended William Robinson and Langford schools, and graduated from the Academy of Richmond County in 1961. She later graduated from Augusta College (now Augusta University) with a B.A. degree in history. She then worked for the college in the Office of Alumni Affairs throughout the 1990s until her retirement in 2000. She continued to be a strong supporter of the institution. She taught Aquasize in their continuing education program for many years.
The loves of her life were her husband Alan, her son Magruder Page and his wife Whitney, and her special granddaughters, Mary Elizabeth and Sarah Catherine. She also had loving dog companions through her life. Other survivors include cousins, Maryanne Kelly Hand (Rodney J. McAmis) and Martha Kearns (Tony).
She was very active in Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church and especially enjoyed using her talent in knitting for the prayer shawl ministry. She also served with the Master’s Table, helped cook Wednesday night church suppers, and made visitations to Brandon Wilde. She loved music and art and a good month-long road trip, was an avid reader, and enjoyed being with her many friends. She was generous with her time, talents, and resources, was outgoing and caring, but had a feisty side as well.
The family would like to thank the staffs of University Hospital, Harrington Park, Brookdale, and Helping Hands Hospice for their compassionate care. Mrs. Cooke donated her body to the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donation to That’s What Friends Are For animal rescue at P.O. Box 9490, Augusta, Georgia, 30906; Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church, 2261 Walton Way, Augusta 30904; or a charity of your choice.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, June 1, at Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church. The family will receive friends following the service.