Muriel Cook Weber
Muriel Cook Weber passed away peacefully at her own home on the farm at the age of 94, her beloved dog Bailey lying quietly at her side. She was born on October 20, 1926 in East Haven Ct. to the late Paul Cook and Doris Mayer Cook. Muriel was married to the late George H. Weber with whom she spent 32 loving adventurous years. She was a graduate of East Haven High School with high honors. Muriel followed her creative passion to the School of Practical Art in Boston where she received a degree in fashion design. In later years, she received a Bachelor Degree in New England Studies from Eastern Connecticut State University.
While George and Muriel were still courting she obtained a position as an assistant display manager at Shartenberg’s in New Haven where she designed various department store window displays. Children started to arrive and the family moved to Vermont. While there the family grew by four children. Upon returning to Connecticut, George and Muriel made a home in Clinton, Connecticut for ten years. During this time the family increased to five children.
Beyond motherhood’s many duties in the 1950’s, Muriel made time to resume designing window displays in New Haven. As their children grew their welcoming table included friends, interns, and foreign exchange students.
After George passed away Muriel picked up a paintbrush to paint houses for Elmer Branch and Sons’ paint crew in Mystic. She was a shepherd of sheep and could often be seen at Ledyard outdoor markets selling skeins of yarn. Muriel volunteered as a docent at both the Florence Griswold Museum and the Nathaniel Palmer Museum. Her Thanksgiving Craft Fairs highlighted her crafts and yarns and wreaths she fashioned with greenery from her farm selling over 100 in a season. On Fair days her children, grandchildren, cousins and friends plied their crafts and baked goods offering them for sale displayed under Gram’s aesthetic tutelage. Muriel enjoyed art in action. She often copied the works of many old masters, and creating things with her hands. Finding beauty and joy in flower gardening, she designed and arranged floral decorations for many weddings. She never passed up a chance to travel and loved museum hunting.
As a young woman and mother of five she enjoyed sailing, hiking, cross-country skiing and ice-skating. As an adolescent she competed in ice-skating competitions. During her time in Vermont she even hunted the evening meal with George, but delighted in the fact that she didn’t kill any animal.
Special occasions of pride and joy were her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren’s sporting events, musical programs, theater productions, ballet performances, and gymnastic competitions and celebrating church sacraments. Gatherings of her family during holiday festivals were better than chocolate. Every Christian holiday, especially Christmas, Muriel delighted in decorating every corner of the house, making many gifts, adorned by Christmas Eve Dinner with family.
Her brother, Robert Cook and her sister, Marion Cook Marston, predeceased her. Like Bailey we all look at Muriel’s now empty chair. We are Paula and husband Maurice Hebb of Lebanon, Peter and his wife Leslie Weber, Patricia and her husband, Randy, Mark Weber and his wife Beth, and Robert Weber all of Ledyard. Her beloved grandchildren, Adam and Heather Dalton, Matthew and Kimberly Hebb, Gregory Hebb and his love, Emily Colville, Amy and Ryan Luther, Liza Hebb and her love, Tom Chi, Samantha and Craig Dziadul and Calle and Dave Macarone all remember her strength and independence. Muriel took great pride in her great grandchildren’s endeavors, treasuring hand written birthday greetings and gifts. They will remember Great Gram from gatherings as far back as they can recall: Jayden, Peyton, Carson, Faith, Tessa, Natalie, Oliver, Gideon, Reuben, Abel, Winston, Theodore, Imara, Amelie, and Remington. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews and many friends with whom she shared good times and merriment.
Funeral Services will be private.
To share a message of condolence or remembrance with her family, please click the link below.