Barbara O'Neal Cooke

Barbara “Meemaw” O’Neal Cooke, 90, passed away Saturday, December 30, 2023 at Givens Estates Healthcare Center.

Mrs. Cooke was born in Fletcher, NC. She was daughter to the late Lillian Helen Thomerson O’Neal and George Earl O’Neal. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Edward “Ed” Lee Cooke and a son Edward Lee Cooke, Jr.

Barbara graduated high school from the Fassifern School for girls in Hendersonville. She was a talented singer and extremely athletic exceling in field hockey and multiple sports. She was an avid golfer and had won one of the local Women’s Senior Tournaments. She loved her family, especially spending time with her grandkids and great grandkids.

She is survived by a daughter, Barbara Cooke Philips and her partner Richard Witt; a son, Billy Cooke and his wife Lori; three grandchildren, Daniel Cooke and his wife Angela, Nicholas Philips and Natalie Philips; two great grandchildren, Emma Cooke and Bennett Cooke; a brother, Bobby O’Neal; a sister Peggy O’Neal; her companion dog, Buddy and her granddogs.

A funeral ceremony will be held at Groce Funeral Home on Saturday, January 20th at 2:00pm. The family will receive friends 30 minutes prior to the service from 1:30 to 2:00 pm. The interment will take place at Lewis Memorial Park’s Mausoleum above the Beaverdam Baptist church in Asheville following the ceremony.