Polly Lassiter Cook

Polly Lassiter Cook passed away Monday, January 12, 2009 at the Lake Wales Medical Center after a long illness.

A memorial celebration of Polly’s life will be held 3:00 PM, Sunday, January 18, 2009 at the First United Methodist Church, Lake Wales. A reception will follow in the Fellowship Hall for friends to gather. She was preceded in death by her husband, William F. Cook. After their retirement in 1999, they moved from Miami to Lake Wales.

Polly Cook was a member of a pioneer family of Lake Wales, Florida. She was born April 4, 1932 to Robert Edward and Pearl Nelson Lassiter. She graduated from Lake Wales High School in 1950 and from Florida State University in 1954.

After graduation she served in the Little Rock, Arkansas Methodist Conference in Rural Work and Christian Education. She was a mission interpreter on Southeastern College Campuses. Following this, Polly spent 4 years in Perry, Florida and other areas of the Tallahassee District doing church and community work. She served as Director of the Wesleyan Student House at the University of Miami for 20 years. Also, she led many Spiritual Life Weekends, taught in mission schools, worked with Youth Ministries and United Methodist Women. Polly has had various local, district, conference and national responsibilities. She had a passion for environmental justice issues.

Polly was devoted to the work of Jesus Christ through the United Methodist Church especially the United Methodist Women of the Lake Wales First United Methodist Church.

Survivors are sisters-in-law, Virginia and Carol Lassiter of Lake Wales, brother-in-law, Truman Terry of Union City, Georgia, 14 nieces and nephews, Ed Lassiter, III of Lake Wales, Florida, Sallie Schroeder of Snellville, Georgia, Jane Wood and Barbara Cromley of Brooklet, Georgia, George Terry of Champaign, Illinois, Katy Terry of Watkinsville, Georgia, Robert Terry of Duluth, Georgia, Finley Watts, Jr. of Laurel, Maryland, Elizabeth Keating of Charlotte, North Carolina, Richard Watts of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Charles Watts of Middle Town, Maryland, Deborah Pullen of Tallahassee, Florida, Margaret Lassiter of Lake Wales, Florida, Alan Lassiter of Winter Haven, Florida, and many caring friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Florida United Methodist Children’s Home, Post Office Box 6299, Deltona, Florida 32728-6299 or Women’s Division, General Board of Global Ministries of United Methodist Church, 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, New York 10017.

To view the webcast of her service, please click the link below:
http://webcasts.lifetributes.com/49362