Mary Frances Cole-Ask

A beacon of light, an anchor for her family, Mary Frances loved nothing more than spending time with those she loved. Her other great passion was teaching. She had extensive training and education in this area holding a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees in early childhood education and elementary administration from UCA. She served as a teacher and principal in the Pulaski County Special School District for 29 years. Her leadership earned her school a designation as a Blue Ribbon school by the Arkansas Department of Education.

As a life-long educator, she worked tirelessly to ensure that all children had opportunities for learning that met their specific needs. Mary Frances believed that all children could learn and presented with the right motivation early in life could be a successful learner. She understood that all children do not learn in the same way and that it was a teacher’s role to find the way that served each child best. She loved her students and was beloved by them.

Among her other passions, Mary Frances was a wonderful seamstress, gardener, and Razorback basketball fan. Her home was always filled with beautiful things she had made giving the indoors a sense of her creative spirit. Outdoors her gardening ingenuity was evident in beautiful plants and flowers making her yard a place of beauty and peace. She and her husband Doug enjoyed traveling to Razorback basketball games with fond memories of a special trip to a tournament in Maui.

Mary Frances is preceded in death by her mother, Helen Lucas and grandson Evan Donaghy. She is survived by her husband, Doug Ask, her two sons, Mike Cole (Mary Jane) and Mark Cole, granddaughter Taylor Thomas (Jeff), grandson David Cole, great grandson Michael Mazzanti, bonus daughters Stacy Ask Bottoms (Eric) and children Sophie Bradley (Jaret) and Drew, Kristy Ask Davis (Cody) and children Zoe and Ellie, Sara Fenter (Jerry) and children Izzy, Beau and Cash, her sister Libby Brzozowski (Frank) and brother Joe Wibberding (Diana).

Visitation will be 6-8 p.m., Thursday, December 1 at Griffin Leggett Rest Hills Funeral Home in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Funeral service will be 10 a.m., Friday, December 2 at Park Hill Baptist Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

Mary Frances was an avid animal lover. In lieu of flowers memorials may be sent to the Pulaski County Humane Society or an animal rescue organization of your choosing.

Mary will be laid to rest in Rest Hills Memorial Park, North Little Rock, Arkansas.