Obituary: Betty Irene Cooke

Betty Irene Cooke passed away Feb. 13, 2011 peacefully in her home in Sun City. Irene was born on Jan. 17, 1924 in Leroy, Kan., second born to Mabel and Dewey Curbey.

Her brothers Eugene, Dale and Gary grew up on a farm but moved to the small town when Irene was a teenager. She moved to California in her 20s where she met and married Jim Cavanaugh, who had two sons from a previous marriage, Randy and Tom. She had her first daughter, Debra Kay, there and shortly after moving to Phoenix, Ariz. she had her second daughter, Becky Irene, and three years later a third daughter, Trudy Ann. She raised her daughters and occasionally her stepsons with amazing love and affection which they still hold in their hearts and made them the good humans they are today.

Irene had a great sense of adventure and a love of nature that continued her whole life.

After Jim died in 1974, she married Jack Cooke, who shared her spirit, and they spent a good deal of their time traveling in their fifth wheel. They settled in Prescott, Ariz. where Jack became ill with Alzheimer's disease. She cared for him until his death with the great compassion of a loving wife.

Irene remained in Prescott until last year when she moved to Sun City to be closer to her daughter Debbie. She loved her new home with its lovely yard where she spent most of her time. With her loveable nature, she made friends quickly and was very involved with her church and art group; she was an extremely accomplished artist painting scenes from many of the beautiful places she had traveled to.

Her passing was sudden, and she will be remembered as one of the most kind, loving and compassionate people ever to bless this planet.

She is survived by her daughters, Debbie, Becky and Trudy; her stepsons, Randy and Tom; her brother Gary; and her granddaughters, Abby, Lindsay, Whitney, Crystal and April.

A memorial service will be at Sun City United Methodist Church, 30220 Carmel Road, Sun City, Calif. on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011 at 11 a.m. with a reception to follow at Irene's home, 25860 Combe Hill Drive, Sun City.

Information provided by survivors.


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