Helen M. Cook

Helen M. Cook, 84, of Lakeland, Georgia, passed away on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at SGMC Lanier Campus.

Born on March 17, 1942, in Waycross, Georgia, she was the daughter of the late Johnnie O'Brien Fender and Mary Kathleen (Taylor) Fender.

Helen retired from Levi Strauss, where she worked as a quality control inspector. She later dedicated 11 years to serving as a paraprofessional at Berrien County Primary School in Nashville, Georgia, where she made a lasting impact on the lives of many students and colleagues.

She found great joy in traveling and was an avid reader who loved learning and exploring new places. Above all, Helen was a devoted Christian whose unwavering faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, guided her life and was evident in the love and kindness she shared with others.

Along with her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Lige “Bud” Cook and her sister, Dorothy Ann Nerans.

She is survived by her son, Mark Allen Cook of Lakeland, Georgia and her loving, devoted special friend, Betty McKinnon of Nashville, Georgia.

Funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, July 17, 2026 in the Chapel of Music Funeral Services, Lakeland with burial to follow in Empire Cemetery, Lakeland, Georgia. The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM on Thursday, July 16, 2026 at the funeral home. Kind words and expressions of sympathy can be left for the family at www.musicfuneralservices.com. The Cook family is being served by the professional and caring staff of Music Funeral Services of Lakeland.