Sydney Lee (Mann) Cook of Mandeville, Louisiana, and formerly of Montgomery passed away on May 30, 2014 at St. Tammany Parish Hospital, Louisiana, after a long struggle with cancer. An only child, Sydney was born on February 11, 1944 in Tallassee, Alabama to William Horace and Beatrice (Smiley) Mann.
After graduating from Lanier High School, Montgomery, she completed her education degree at Auburn University, where she was an enthusiastic Kappa Delta. She and husband Ashby began dating as classmates in the eighth grade, and since their marriage in 1966, she has been a dedicated and loving wife, mother, and grandmother (as well as a devoted fan of the Saints and her beloved Auburn Tigers).
A longtime resident of the New Orleans area, Sydney was a selfless and giving person who faithfully attended the Martha Bailey Bible Study at First Baptist Church of Covington and who supported a number of charities. She also loved to spend time playing bridge and laughing with friends and family, both at home and at their Lake Martin retreat. We will miss her sense of humor and her tendency to make fun of herself to make others smile.
Sydney is survived by her husband of almost forty-eight years, Ashby W. Cook; two children, Bryan C. (Janna M.) Cook and Ashley E. (Grant A.) Lange; four grandchildren, Logan B. & Garrett M. Cook and Ainsley C. & Grayson W. Lange; and several cousins, including Nancy (Paul) Blackwell and their son David (Sandy), and Philip (Gloria) Martin and their daughter Courtney. She is also survived by her in-laws who loved her like a sister: John and Dale Cook, Mamie (widow of James Cook), and Erma (Cook) and Ron Head.
A memorial service/visitation will be held on Friday, June 6 at 11:00 in the Fellowship Hall of First United Methodist Church, Montgomery, Alabama. There will also be a visitation at First Baptist Church, Covington, Louisiana on Friday, June 13, from 10 a.m. until noon, with a memorial service to follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to:
Wounded War Heroes Fund
12360 Mill House Drive
Geismar, LA 70734
To sign the family guestbook and offer condolences on-line, visit www.ejfieldingfh.com.
Published in The Times-Picayune from June 4 to June 8, 2014