Sister Margaret Cook, 85, of Knoxville, Tennessee, died peacefully in her sleep on the Eve of the Ascension, May 24.

Cook entered the Community of St. Mary on May 1, 1990, and was in her 22nd year of profession when she died. She was a cradle Episcopalian and was always very active in the Church.

Before coming to the Community she had served in her church, especially with the Daughters of the King. She, likewise, served at the University of Tennessee in the Graduate Studies Program, and for a time, she actively managed a Girl Scout Camp.

Cook was especially known for her great sense of humor and her love of music, animals, hiking and canoeing. She lived a vibrant life of prayer and hospitality and expressed her care for family, young people and nature in her daily life of service.

Within the Community she ministered over the years, both in the Philippines and in Sewanee, Tennessee. She served with cheer and energy in multiple capacities as sacristan, sister-for-associates and sister-in-charge and expressed her care for sisters, guests and associates through those roles.

Her death ends her five-year struggle with Alzheimer’s disease, for which we give thanks. She will be missed, but she has left the world with blessing.

Cook is survived by her sisters of the Community of St. Mary, her nieces, Teresa Butler and Margaret Evans, and her nephew, Phillip Cook, and their families. Her life and ministry will be celebrated with a Requiem Mass in the convent chapel, located at 1100 St. Mary’s Lane, Sewanee, Tennessee, on June 3, at 11 a.m., followed by the interment and a reception.