Dona Sue Black Cool, born to Ernest Craven Black and Estella Blanche Long Black in Kansas City, Missouri on August 16, 1933, passed away peacefully in her sleep on November 15, 2023 at her nursing home in Marietta, Georgia. She moved to the Atlanta area to be closer to family, after retiring as a professor from The University of Missouri Asian Affairs Center in 2017, having lived in Columbia, Missouri for a total of more than three decades.
A woman ahead of her time
Before there was Wordle, in the Cool family there was Dona Sue’s “Refrigerator Words.” Daughters Sarah and Gretchen explain, “Our mom would find a word, and we had to use that word in a sentence during that week. Mother would not let us just say I’m ‘good' or I’m ‘fine’. Instead, we had to be more descriptive: I’m feeling ‘energetic’ today or I’m feeling ‘lethargic’ today.” That anecdote, shared with much laughter and love, reflects the close bond between Dona Sue and her two daughters.
The Sweet Shop
Dona Sue was the oldest of her two sisters, Diane Louise and Frances Marie, and one brother Wayne Vincent. Their father, Ernest, was a supervisor at the Wonder Bread Company. After retiring from Wonder, he and their mother, Estella, opened a sweet shop in North Kansas City, MO featuring the fabulous cakes and pies her mother baked. It was called The Sweet Shop. Dona Sue recalled, “We were restaurant people. I worked there beginning at age 10. I did whatever they told me to do. I washed dishes. Sometimes I waited on people; got paid 15 cents an hour.” The Sweet Shop was next to the movie theater and served popcorn to the movie goers for 25 cents and a soda for 10 cents.
College and an introduction to international education
Dona Sue loved school, both the learning and the people. She was still in touch with some friends from those years until her passing. Her involvement with both academics and school culture seeded two interests she pursued throughout her life, being a teacher and playing an active role in civic and political life.
She spent two years at Christian College for Women in Columbia, MO and then graduated from University of Missouri in Columbia MO, with degrees and certificates to teach English and Social Studies. Upon graduation, she took a position teaching English in US Army Dependent Schools in France and for three years took advantage of the ability to freely travel throughout Europe while working.
Upon returning stateside, between teaching positions, Dona Sue worked for Lynn Insurance Group where she met Glenn Max Cool. After a year-long courtship, they married in 1963 and shortly after started their family. They had two daughters, Sarah in 1965 and Gretchen in 1968.
Family life was lively and busy
The family enjoyed theater. Dona Sue’s daughters recall, “We all loved live events. That comes from Mother and Daddy. We’d often dress up and go to the Kansas City Symphony or to the Starlight Theatre to see a show under the stars at the outdoor amphitheater at Swope Park.”
The girls took lots of theater classes throughout their childhood, with Dona Sue and Glenn ferrying them to rehearsals, workshops, and performances. Education was always important. Dona Sue and Glenn were the first in their families to go to college and wanted nothing less for their daughters.
Music permeated their home. Dona Sue loved musicals, some opera, Doris Day, Scott Joplin, Cole Porter, and The Boston Pops, among others. She rigged up a record player so that music accompanied her while cooking and cleaning in the kitchen. Dona Sue made sure the girls studied French, piano, and ballet. Glenn was able to play piano by ear. Dona Sue played piano and saxophone.
Celebrating holidays was important for the extended family. Christmas always brought a real Douglas Fir tree into their home. Thanksgiving and Easter were celebrated between the homes of Aunt Lucille and Aunt Clara. Dona Sue and her family always hosted on the 4th of July, complete with an array of fireworks. Her daughters recall, “Great memories in our backyard. It was really hot during the day. Then, in late afternoon it would start to cool off, and you could hear the crickets. We had all kinds of fireworks. Mother and Daddy were ridiculously careful about it. There was an open field that was the only place you could shoot off the bottle rockets, and they had to be in a can. Mother liked the roman candles and pinwheels.”
Civic engagement
The 1970s began a new chapter of greater civic involvement when Dona Sue became District Assistant to E. Thomas Coleman, who represented the 6th District of Missouri. Gretchen describes, “She was the mover and shaker. If Tom was in D.C., Mother was the one to go to. She was always wearing a suit, heels, hose, briefcase, all of it! Hair done every week, beautiful makeup, and jewelry. Oh, she never would go out of the house without her face on!”
Her daughters recall, "If you ever asked Mother for a Kleenex, you could be sure that she could find you one, but one corner would have been blotted with lipstick, and she would hand it to you and say, ‘It's clean! Just use the other corner!’”
Dona Sue was also very active with the local Kansas City public broadcasting affiliate KCPT. She worked in their development office getting donations from people in the community, writing press releases, and managing publicity, including the live auction fundraiser. Through their mother’s job with this PBS affiliate, Sarah and Gretchen got to meet Big Bird!
Among other civic organizations throughout her long life, Dona Sue was involved with her college sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, as well as PEO, Assistance League of Kansas City, Stephen Ministries, Overseas Brats, and more.
Continuing to teach stateside and abroad
Dona Sue’s civic dynamism should not eclipse her commitment as an educator, which included teaching English and Social Studies at junior high schools and at her high school alma mater, which was also the alma mater of her father and eventually of Sarah and Gretchen. She also taught English as a second language in Taiwan as part of the Asian Affairs Center at University of Missouri and returned to the University in that same department as a professor.
Dona Sue spent the majority of her adult life teaching English in various capacities. She always thrived on the investigative learning process and then turning that process into teachable moments for others. Dona Sue always enjoyed writing and sharing stories from her various life adventures.
A bond of love and legacy
Dona Sue’s daughters made a compelling case to get her to move from Missouri to Georgia in 2017. Once in the Atlanta area, she could spend more time with them, as well as her grandchildren as they made their way back for summer and holiday breaks. Her four grandchildren, Alexandria, Levi, Izabelle, and Emily all followed in her footsteps in their own way; Alexandria through her work on political campaigns and public service career as an aide to U.S. Senators and leaders throughout the federal government, Levi by charting a new path and moving far from home to work on the latest innovations in the technology sector, Izabelle by attending Dona Sue’s alma mater, The University of Missouri, to pursue her Sports Journalism degree and write for the school newspaper achieving national publication, and Emily who is also pursuing a life in public service as a Social Worker committed to uplifting her community and making a difference for those that need it most. To say Grandmother has left an indelible mark on her grandchildren is to put it mildly. Her undaunted spirit, toughness, zeal for life, and the betterment of her community is forever instilled in them.
In Georgia, she was able to continue a life-long habit of consuming the daily paper. She always enjoyed a good TV game show such as Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, sitcoms like MASH reruns with Alan Alda, movies with Sidney Poitier, and musical shows such as the Boston Pops.
Her daughters enjoyed nearly weekly visits with her, and both girls have agreed: “She always had a strong sense of independence. We are both independent. She was a great role model for us.” When possible, her grandchildren would join in the visits which most often included an outdoor picnic lunch and Starbucks treats, the caramel Frappuccino being Dona Sue’s all time favorite.
Dona Sue is survived by her daughters Sarah Scott Cool of Holly Springs, GA and Gretchen Black Cool Weible (and Thomas) of Lawrenceville, GA; grandchildren Alexandria Gabrielle Phelps (and Jason) of Washington, DC, Levi Thomas Weible of Culver City, CA, Izabelle Katerina Cool of Columbia, MO, and Emily Grace Weible of Athens, OH; her youngest sister Frances Marie Garrett (and Robert) of Kansas City, MO; and a whole host of other extended family and friends near and far.
In lieu of flowers or plants, please send contributions in memory of Dona Sue Cool to The Asian Affairs Center, University of Missouri, ℅ Sang Kim, N49 Memorial Union, Columbia, Missouri 65211 where a scholarship fund is being created in her name. Cards of condolence for the family may be mailed to: Sarah Cool, PO BOX 244, Waleska, GA 30183. There will be no public services. The immediate family is planning a private celebration of life at a later date. Georgia Memorial Park of Marietta, GA is handling the arrangements.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.GeorgiaMemorialPark.com for the Cool family.
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