Anne Hope Cook

Anne Hope Ricketson Cook

October 27, 1949 – February 21, 2026

Anne Hope Ricketson Cook, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully on February 21, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family. She was born on October 27, 1949, in Cornelia, Georgia, to Robert and Sara Maude Ricketson.

Hope spent her early years in Georgia, where she developed a lifelong love for family, friendships, and community. She graduated from Sprayberry High School, where she was a Majorette, and then attended the University of Georgia. She remained a devoted Bulldog fan throughout her life, proudly cheering on her team every season.

On July 5, 1971, Hope married the love of her life, Jim Cook, beginning a marriage defined by love, partnership, devotion, and deep friendship. Together they built a home filled with warmth, laughter, and unwavering support for their children and grandchildren.

Hope enjoyed a vibrant and adventurous professional life. She worked for airlines including Southern Air, Republic, and Northwest for more than twenty years, in a career that allowed her to travel widely while creating a remarkable network of dear and lasting friendships. In the 1980s, she owned and operated a framing and gift shop called The Hope Chest, reflecting her creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. Following her airline career, she became a real estate agent, with a passion for helping others find a place to call home.

Her life journey took her and her family across the country. After living in Georgia until 1985, Hope moved with Jim and their children to Syracuse, New York, where she cherished living near her sister Robin Bolton and her family. She later spent eight years in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, before settling for many years in the Memphis area, living in Hernando, Mississippi. In 2015, Hope and Jim moved to Spring Hill, Tennessee, where Hope spent the last eleven years of her life deeply engaged with her church and community.

Faith and service were central to Hope’s life. While living in Hernando, she faithfully taught Sunday School to middle school girls at Longview Baptist Church and went on mission trips to Uganda, France, and Belgium, which gave her the opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and pray with the people whom she met. In retirement, she volunteered at the Hernando Animal Shelter, generously giving her time and affection to homeless animals in need of love.

Hope’s very favorite thing was spending time with her family, especially her husband, Jim. In Spring Hill, she and Jim became certified Master Gardeners and cultivated a large beautiful garden in their yard each year. Together, they volunteered at The Well Outreach food pantry and visited residents at a local nursing home each week to share companionship and encouragement. They loved attending church and their small fellowship group together. Their church family in Spring Hill became a treasured part of Hope’s life.

Hope was a talented seamstress, gifted cook, and wonderful decorator whose home reflected beauty, hospitality, and joy. She loved animals, gardening, traveling, and celebrating life’s special moments. Christmas was her favorite season, and she was known as a thoughtful and generous gift giver who delighted in bringing happiness to others.

Above all else, Hope loved her family more than anything. She was a devoted wife, a loving mother, and a wonderful Gigi to her grandchildren. Her greatest joy came from time spent together—celebrating milestones, sharing meals, and creating lifelong memories. She was the biggest cheerleader for her children and grandchildren, offering unconditional love, encouragement, and pride.

Some of Hope’s most cherished memories were spent at Lake Burton, surrounded by her extended family.

She is survived by her devoted husband, Jim Cook; her daughter, Natalie Hope Cook Emigholz (Paul); her son, James Jeffrey Cook (Michelle); her cherished grandchildren, Sara Hope Emigholz, Virginia Emigholz, Griffin Cook, and Abby Cook; her dearly loved sisters, Robin Ricketson Bolton and Sallee Ricketson Smith (Larry), as well as her much loved nieces and cousins and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Sara Maude Ricketson.

Anne Hope Cook will be remembered for her faith, kindness, generosity, talents, wonderful sense of humor, and the extraordinary love that she gave so freely. Her legacy lives on in the lives that she touched, the family she cherished, and the countless acts of compassion that defined her life.

A celebration of Hope’s life will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the Spring Hill Memorial Park Funeral Home, 5239 Main Street, Spring Hill, TN 37174. Visitation will begin at 1:00 PM CST followed by a Memorial Service at 2:00 PM CST. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in her memory to the Hernando Animal Shelter, 1203 Nesbit Dr., Nesbit, MS 38651.  https://www.cityofhernando.org/departments/animal-shelter  

A gathering will be held after the Memorial Service, for those who can attend, at the home of Jeff and Michelle Cook, 1843 Ivy Crest Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027.

Powered by Froala Editor