Barbara Shelley Cook

In loving memory of Barbara Shelley Cook July 24, 1936 – May 4, 2025

Born July 24, 1936, in Pittsburgh, PA, and adopted by Dr. and Mrs. E. G. Shelley of North East,PA, in late 1937, Barbara Shelley Cook died on May 4, 2025, (her 62nd wedding anniversary) in Birmingham, AL.

Remembered by her friends and family as living an exemplary life, Barbara tried and mostly succeeded in living by the prophet Micah’s classic verse Micah 6:8 summarized as follows: be fair in your dealings, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God. Barbara was an outgoing, kind, courageous, and considerate person. She was very smart, very competitive, but fair. She was a striver and a good leader. She exercised good judgment. She was very articulate. She was an excellent instructor of adults and a gifted storyteller for children. She also had a good sense of humor and did not take herself too seriously. Barbara graduated from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, in 1958. In the mid-1980s, she earned a graduate degree in curriculum design from the University of Memphis, Memphis, TN. After retiring, she participated in studies related to the Episcopal Church at the University of the South, Sewanee, TN. Barbara considered her family to be the most significant part of her life. After marriage to James “Tim” A. Cook Jr. in May of 1963, Barbara and Tim moved to Miami Shores, FL, and later to Tampa, FL; then Memphis, TN, and later Germantown, TN; Lawrence, KS; and finally Birmingham, AL. Their children included two sons and one daughter who agreed that Memphis, TN, had been the principal home. Barbara was known for making a mean Chicago-style pizza, playing a rousing game of Yahtzee, and keeping a door open for the neighborhood children. Barbara worked outside the home for much of her life. When her children were young, she taught kindergarten. Later, she was employed by FedEx in Memphis, TN, for twelve years. During her time at FedEx Barbara was the recipient of the Five Star Award and retired as a Global Sales Training Manager. Throughout much of her adult life, Barbara served the Community of Faith. She was a member of several Episcopal churches, ultimately including St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Vestavia Hills, AL. At various times, she served as a vestry member, lay reader, and educator of children and adults. Barbara was among the first women to participate in the leadership of the Episcopal church worship services. Among other outside activities, Barbara volunteered with the election commissions in Memphis, TN, and Lawrence, KS. She also volunteered in Lawrence, KS, with the Lawrence Memorial Hospital and the Corpus Christi Catholic School.

Unfortunately, health concerns caught up with Barbara. A series of falls and subsequent evaluations revealed the presence of vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In August of 2022, Barbara and Tim correctly decided to act on the wisdom of their daughter, Anne, and relocate to Birmingham, AL, where, for the last twenty months, she was a resident in the Skilled Nursing Center of Kirkwood by the River Retirement Community, Birmingham, AL.

A funeral service was conducted for Barbara at the Kirkwood by the River Chapel on Friday, May 9, 2025. Her body was interred at the Beaver Cemetery in Beaver, PA, on May 13, 2025.

Barbara is survived by her husband, Tim, her children, Chip, John, Anne Burruss (John), and her grandchildren, Will, Jack, and Bailey. She is also survived by her sister, Susan Shelley Leeper. The family is very grateful to the nurses, certified nurse assistants, and other employees who cared for Barbara while she lived at Kirkwood by the River. Memorial gifts may be made in Barbara’s memory to St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Vestavia Hills, AL, or Kirkwood by the River, Birmingham, AL.