Martha Cook, 86, lifelong Kansas City area resident, passed away Wednesday, May 11, 2011. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. with funeral services at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, May 16th, at Mt. Moriah & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Rd., followed by a reception. Her family would like to thank the tremendous staff at Evergreen Community (where Martha spent the past seven years) and also her outstanding Grace Hospice team. Martha was born February 27, 1925 in Kansas City, Missouri, to Hildred and Jim Orr. She received her Bachelor and Master degrees in Piano Performance, after studying with Wiktor Labunski, from the Conservatory of Music Kansas City. She had a reputation as a brilliant pianist who taught at the Conservatory for several years and then taught privately for more than 40 years. Her husband, Walter E. Cook, was also a Labunski student and was one of the major piano instructors at the Conservatory for many years. Her mother, Hildred Orr, was also a piano instructor at the school. Martha was a sixty-nine year member of the Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity for Women. She served Tau college chapter as President and was the first fraternity member from this area to serve as Province President. Martha and her husband, Walter, also studied at the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. She and Walter married during WWII in 1945. He died at the age of 51 in 1974. They shared a very special connection with their love of music. She is survived by her three children: her son Steve Cook and his wife Rhonda, daughter Virginia (Ginger) Cook, and son Dave Cook and his wife Kim; four grandchildren Carrie Schoeberl, Chad Cook, Cole Cook and Bret Cook; and one great-grandchild Kinley Schoeberl. Martha will be remembered for being a loving wife and mother, an accomplished pianist, and for her enthusiasm, wonderful sense of humor, and kindness toward other people and all living things. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made, in memory of Martha Cook, to the Walter E. and Martha Cook Piano Scholarship, c/o Linda Robbins, Director of Development, 308 Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry Street, Kansas City, MO 64110 (payable to UMKC) or the Alzheimer’s Association, Heart of America Chapter, 3846 W. 75th St., Prairie Village, KS 66208 (payable to The Alzheimer’s Association). Condolences may be made at www.mtmoriah-freeman.com. Arrangements under the direction of Mount Moriah & Freeman Funeral Home, Kansas City, MO.
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