Florence Marie McCool
Florence McCool (86) of Warson Woods, Missouri, died peacefully on May 2, 2022 in the presence of her loving family. She was the devoted wife of 60 years to the late James McCool. Proud mother of six children whom she loved unconditionally: Kathy (Jack) Garvey, Dave (Mickie) McCool, Bob (Lori) McCool, Dan (Mary Jo, deceased) McCool, Mary Jane McCool, Pat (Sherry) McCool. Loving grandmother of Tim, Matt, Colleen, Sheila, Ellie, Bryce, Blake, Cameron, Connor, Kelsey, Bryan, Shannon, Ethan, Pauline, Luke and Christian, and great grandmother of Maxine. Florence was born in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri on September 5, 1935 and attended St. Louis University Nursing School. She made her home in St Louis after meeting her lifelong sweetheart Dr. Jim McCool. They tied the knot 6 months after their first date. Florence immersed herself in raising her six children and found peace and joy in her faith and family. She was also passionate about her hobbies of gardening and plants, bird watching, especially hummingbirds, reading, and playing games of all sorts (never gloating despite consistently winning!). She loved to exercise and played tennis on the senior circuit into her later years. Florence was an avid hiker who was happiest surrounded by the beauty of the mountains in Colorado and Wyoming where her daughters and family tried to keep up with her on the rugged trails. She outpaced many hiking companions well into her late 70s! She was an accomplished musician (piano, violin, banjo) who loved to sing and attend performances, and was a lifelong learner, deeply curious and always seeking new knowledge. In 1978, she poured herself into the field of color analysis, learning about and sharing with others the secrets and art of seasonal colors in our lives. She spent many years performing daily acts of kindness and helping others feel beautiful and special.
In addition to her children, grandchildren, and great grandchild, Florence is survived by her sister, Lucille Tlapek, and brother, Herman Kraenzle. She was pre-deceased by her sister, Beatrice Budd, and brother, Charles Kraenzle. She will be deeply missed by her family and friends.
A funeral Mass will be held on June 15th, 2022 at 10:30 am at St. Genevieve Du Bois, her home parish for over 50 years. Musical prelude and Words of Remembrance will begin at 9:45 am. The prelude and the Mass will be live-streamed: go to https://www.stegenevievedubois.org and click on the funeral livestream link.
In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Florence McCool can be directed to support the Rett Spectrum Clinic or to the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Checks can be made out to “WashU—Rett Spectrum Clinic” or to “WashU—ADRC” and sent to the address below with “in Memory of Florence McCool” entered in the memo line:
Washington University
MSC 1082-414-2555
c/o Emily Williams
1 Brookings Drive
St. Louis, MO 63130-9989