Shirley Ann Cook

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our sister, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, Shirley Ann Cook, of Spokane, Washington, who passed away peacefully on July 3, 2025, of natural causes. Shirley was born April 26, 1935, in Mariaville, Nebraska, to Emil Henry and Mary Etta (Stahl) Harding. She was the third child and the second girl of Mary and Emil's 11 children. In 1943, when Shirley was about 8 years old, the family packed up into a Model T Ford and relocated from Nebraska to Chewelah, Washington. Shirley was a tireless worker growing up. In addition to helping with her younger siblings at home, she worked at Mullan's store, Alpine Theater, and in the family restaurant during high school. She spent her summers cooking for the wheat crew during harvest and caring for the landowner's children in Riparia, Washington. Shirley continued a lifelong friendship with the children she cared for. She graduated from Chewelah's Jenkins High School in 1953 and married Jim Stevens in 1954. They had two children: Rodney (Rod) and Denise (Dee Dee). When they moved to Spokane for work, Shirley work ed for Value Mart and Payless. Jim and Shirley divorced in 1965, and she continued to work hard to raise the children on her own, with great support from family. She remarried Robert (Bob) Cook in 1968, and shortly after, the family moved to Butte, Montana for several years where Shirley made a beautiful home, created many friendships, and enjoyed snowmobiling in the winter and boating in the summer. They relocated back to Spokane in 1973 and moved again to Kennewick, Washington, in 1978, where Bob started working for Columbia Lighting. Shirley, continuing her work ethic, worked at the local Bruce's Seafood store. There are a few stories that have been told about mishaps with the butcher knife! The last job she held was at Hanford, where her younger brother and son worked as well. Bob and Shirley then both retired and moved to Milton-Freewater, Oregon, to be closer to her older sister Alberta "Tudor" and her husband, Ken. Again, she easily found work, but this time as a volunteer in the hospital gift shop, which she thoroughly enjoyed, combining her passion for shopping and meeting new people. In January 2008, Shirley and Bob moved back to Spokane to be closer to the rest of the family. After Bob's passing in December 2021, Shirley moved into the Vintage Retirement Community in 2023, and enjoyed partaking in the weekly Left, Right, Center dice game. Shirley had endless energy to make a nice home, always a clean car with flawless maintenance, making holiday goodies for neighbors and friends, and she always dressed to the nines! Her favorite invention was the telephone, which she used to keep in constant contact with everyone she knew. Her children's saying was, "telegraph, telephone, teleShirley," because she was always the one to spread the news. Shirley adored her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and friends. Family members and friends were constant visitors. Neighbors often commented about the volume of visitors Shirley always had coming to her apartment, which speaks to how loved and cherished she truly was! Shirley was preceded in death by her mother Mary (Stahl) Harding; her father, Emil Harding; her brothers, Warren, Jim, Larry, Danny; her sister, Alberta (Tudor); and her husband, Robert (Bob) Cook. She is survived by her son Rodney (Jana); daughter Denise "Dee Dee"; brothers, Tyke and Skip; sisters Jeanne, Sharon, and Jodee; granddaughters, Tiffany and Katie; and four great- grandchildren: Jonas, Porter, Ellie, and Sydney. Her one-of-a-kind personality touched countless lives. Her presence was such comfort, and her absence is an ache in the hearts of those who loved her.