Mary Cook's Obituary
Mary Margaret Cook passed away on Friday, June 30, 2023, at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas and has entered into the Kingdom of Heaven. She was born in Shawnee Mission, Kansas on June 23, 1933 to her parents, Francis Marguerite and Theodore Melvin Feely, and had just recently observed her 90th birthday. Mary Margaret grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana and graduated from Shortridge High School.
She married David Riley and they settled in Indianapolis.The couple raised two children, Lynne and Mark, in Indianapolis-- before they later moved to Richardson, TX in 1968. She went back to school later in life, as her marriage to David ended, and graduated with a B.S. and an M.S. in Education from the University of North Texas in Denton. Mary worked for many years for the Dallas Independent School District as a school psychologist. She retired from the DISD in 2000. She remarried a long time high school friend, Dick Cook, that same year and she moved to Cumming, Georgia where she lived for 22 years. She moved back to Dallas in 2022 several years after her husband died to be closer to her daughter, Lynne—and her family. Upon her return to Dallas, she was a resident at C. C. Young Retirement Community—where she made many new friends—living there nine months before her death.
She is survived by her brother Theodore (Ted) Feely, Jr., her daughter, Lynne Riley Brown, three grandchildren—Julia Brown Melihercik, James William Brown IV, and Bradley Emmett Brown. Mary also had eight great grandchildren. “Mamaw,” as she was known in the family, also enjoyed travelling in her later years—and journeyed off to Europe and the U.K. many times.
Our family wishes to thank the wonderful nurses and doctors at Presbyterian Hospital--Dallas for the tremendous care and medical support that they provided to Mary Margaret during the last week of her life.
A Memorial Service will be conducted at Restland Cemetery, Dallas, in the Wildwood Chapel at 10 a.m. on Friday July 7th—followed by a reception at Northwood Country Club.
Pastor Emily Scates from Highland Park Presbyterian Church, Dallas will be conducting the Service.
What’s your fondest memory of Mary?
What’s a lesson you learned from Mary?
Share a story where Mary's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Mary you’ll never forget.
How did Mary make you smile?