FULTON, NY – Rosemary Keefe Cook, 93, of Fayetteville, NY, formerly of Fulton, NY, died at the home of her daughter, Kathleen, on Thursday May 16, 2019.
Rosemary was born in Fulton, the daughter of Richard and Florence Follan Keefe.
She graduated from Fulton High School in 1943 and attended Syracuse University.
She married Harry E. Cook, also a Fulton native, in 1948, and the couple lived in Rochester before settling back in Fulton in 1957.
Rosemary and Harry lived in Wilobob Terrace and were communicants of Holy Family Church.
Rosemary was proud that her grandfather, John B. Follan, was one of the Catholic residents on the west side of Fulton who, in the midst of the Great Depression, helped establish Holy Family Parish in 1930.
Last year, Rosemary moved to Fayetteville to be closer to family.
She made friends at her new home and became a communicant of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Syracuse.
Rosemary and Harry participated fully in the vibrant Fulton community their entire married life.
Rosemary and Harry were longtime members of the Oswego Country Club where Harry loved to golf and where they made many long-lasting friendships.
She and Harry volunteered for several civic organizations and at many popular annual Fulton events including the Holy Family Bazaar and the Cracker Barrel Fair.
Rosemary was a founding member of the Friends of History in Fulton.
She served in each role on the board and as president for two terms.
In 2012, she received the Elma J. Smith award for distinguished service and dedication to the organization.
When her daughters were young, Rosemary was active in Girl Scouts and was a troop leader.
Rosemary was a member of the Altar Rosary Society of Holy Family, volunteered in Women’s Club, and loved playing bridge with her long-standing bridge group.
Rosemary’s love of Wilobob and living on the Oswego River was matched only by many happy memories of summers at Camp Cook-a-Book with Harry and their daughters on Fair Haven Bay where days of swimming and boating were followed by legendary cookouts.
She was predeceased by her husband, Harry E. Cook, in 1994; and their infant son, Richard John Cook, in 1963.
Rosemary is survived by her daughters, Diane Keefe Cook (Michael Milburn), Suzanne Follan Cook and Kathleen Cook Curtis (Edward B. Curtis); grandchildren, Catherine Allison LoRe (Peter LoRe), Emma Cook Allison, Jonathan Cook Allison, Benjamin Follan Cook, Julia Rose Curtis (fiancé Rocco Porcellio), Anna Claire Curtis, and Marguerite Grace Curtis.
Rosemary was thrilled to be blessed with two great-grandchildren, Rosemary Allison LoRe and Nico Anthony LoRe.
Rosemary is also survived by many cousins and extended family.
She leaves beloved neighbors and dear friends from Wilobob and the Fulton community.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Syracuse at 10 a.m. Friday, May 24.
Friends may call from 9 to 10 a.m. at the cathedral before the funeral.
Burial will take place at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Fulton immediately following the mass.
The family invites friends and family to a reception at the Blue Moon Grill, 122 Cayuga St., Fulton, beginning at 12:30 p.m., following the burial.
Rosemary requested that donations be made to Friends of History, 177 S. First St., Fulton NY 13069.
Cards may be sent in care of Kathleen Curtis, 319 Hurlburt Road, Syracuse, NY 13224.
Foster Funeral Home, Inc.
www.fosterfuneralhome.com
She was my Mother-in-Law’s bridge partner for years. A wonderful, caring, and generous woman.