Mary Louise Hendrickson Cole, 85, of West Middlesex, Pa., passed away Feb. 5, due to complications related to Parkinson’s Disease. She chose to donate her body for medical research, including the disease she bravely battled for nearly seven years.
Mrs. Cole was born Aug. 14, 1935 in West Middlesex, a daughter of Henrich Arvid and Vernie Kelley Hendrickson. She was salutatorian of her graduating class at WM High School. Mary Lou married Woodrow (Woody) H. Cole Jr. on June 15, 1956.
Mary Lou worked more than 30 years as a secretary in the West Middlesex schools where she mentored generations of students. After retirement, the Coles moved to The Villages in Florida before returning to Pennsylvania in 2014, living with their daughter, Elaine and her husband, Alex, in Aliquippa, Pa.
Mary Lou is a member of the Lebanon Presbyterian Church in West Middlesex/Mercer, Pa., where she had been a member of the choir. She previously was a member of Community United Methodist Church in Fruitland Park, Fla., and most recently attended Riverdale Presbyterian Church in Moon Township, Pa.
She leaves four children and their spouses: Linda and Steve Levine of Austin, Texas; Rick and Beth Ann Cole of Austin, Texas; Ron and Theresa Cole of Hermitage, Pa.; and Elaine and Alex Mitchell of Aliquippa, Pa., with whom she lived and who were her primary caretakers; sister Lois, and her husband, John Erb, of The Villages, Fla.; sister-in-law Diane Hendrickson of Sharon, Pa.; grandchildren Lindsey, Nathan and Alex (Rachael) Levine, Ethan (Marissa), Andrew and Sam Cole; Matthew (Sandra) Clune and Noah Cole; Eliot (Amanda) and Woody Hawk, and Liz Mitchell; and six great grandchildren, Laney, Rylee, Sloane, Lucas, Camilla and Violet, and, the soon-to-be Remy Louise; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, parents and brother, John Hendrickson.
The family also sends very special thanks to Mary Lou’s friend and caretaker of the past six years, Jan Grant.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. The family requests donations to be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation at www.Parkinson.org.
