Kimberly Anne Cooke

COOKE, LOWERY, COOK

Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 7/8/2024 at 14:14:12

Kimberly Anne Cooke, 65, passed away in her Iowa City home on Wednesday, June 5, with a cherished friend at her side.

Kim was born July 8, 1958, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Anne (Lowry) Cooke and Virgil Cook. She spent her earliest years in Covington, Kentucky, near her mother’s family, before moving to Winona, Minnesota. Kim loved Winona, and did extremely well in school. She graduated in 1976 from Winona Senior High School.

Kim first studied at Coe College, where she received a Presidential Scholarship and full tuition. She studied documentary filmmaking and embraced opportunities to travel, including a very rewarding internship at WNET, a PBS affiliate in New York City. It was there, during the spring of 1980, that she fell in love with the Broadway scene—sparking a lifelong passion for the city, and for the performing arts. She transferred to the University of Iowa and happened to find a part-time job at a record shop called the Record Bar. Kim had been a Beatles fan since the age of six, but now she became immersed in the glorious tunes of the ’80s, from Tom Petty to U2 to her favorite, The Police. In 1982 she earned bachelor’s degrees in sociology and in communication and theatre arts, before returning to complete coursework in art and art history, with a focus on graphic design. She was inducted in 1989 into Phi Beta Kappa.

In 1995 Kim began her thirty-year career at the University of Iowa as a graphic designer for a department that was then University Relations but would be renamed a comical number of times before her retirement. Kim was passionate about design and valued the creativity of her colleagues. Her designs won numerous American Advertising Awards (ADDY awards) and were part of the 2018 group that won Gold and Judge’s Choice. She was also active in the Visual Arts Alliance, bringing top-name designers to Iowa City.

Kim and her mother, Anne, shared an apartment and were very close. After many years as a nursing clerk at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Anne retired to help with the care of her new granddaughter.

Jilly Paige Cooke was born on April 5, 1999. Kim always laughed remembering how, at nine pounds, Jilly dwarfed the other babies in the NICU. Kim was a devoted mother, fierce in her advocacy for children with special needs, creating a network of support and touching the lives of so many families.

The three Cooke women shared a home for eight years. But Anne’s sudden death in 2007 was very hard on Kim. She spoke of her mother often.

Art in its many forms brought happiness and inspiration to Kim, especially as she was able to share it with her daughter. Jilly was soon cast in plays and musicals, performing as a percussionist, and recently conducting the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra—and Kim never missed a performance. A huge supporter of young people in the arts, Kim was a cheerleader for her friends’ children and her daughter’s classmates at City High, West High and at the UI.

Kim never shied away from a political argument. A fervent supporter of progressive causes, she was deeply saddened by the economic inequities, systematic racism, and other injustices she saw in our country and across the world. The situation in Gaza erupted right as she was diagnosed with cancer. Yet even as she was faced with the uncertainties of the diagnosis and concerns for her daughter's future, she continued to closely follow the news—and cried almost daily for those suffering in Gaza.

Kim was preceded in death by her mother, Anne. She is survived by her daughter, Jilly. Also surviving are many dear colleagues and friends who assisted her and lifted her spirits through her last days. A celebration of Kim’s life will be held Sunday, August 4, at 1 p.m., at Lensing Funeral Home, 605 Kirkwood Avenue, Iowa City. A light luncheon will follow in the Kirkwood Room. Please wear purple, Kim's favorite color.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra, P.O. Box 271, Mt. Pleasant, IA 52641, www.seiso.us, or to Revival Theatre Company, 329 10th Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401, www.revivaltheatrecompany.com.

Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
 

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