Renee Ethel Cardell Cook passed away on Wednesday, July 10, 2024.  She was born to Dr. Ernest Mauritz Cardell and Ruth Vivian Ryberg on August 5, 1925, in Kenosha, WI. Renee was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 74 years, Dick; her beloved sister, June; and her infant son, Thomas.

Renee grew up in Kenosha, WI, and graduated in 1943 from Bradford High School. She graduated from Coe College, Cedar Rapids, IA, in 1947, where she met Richard E. Cook. They were married on December 27, 1947, and settled in Elgin, IL to start a family. Thomas was stillborn February 1949 and Martha was born in March1950. After the twins, Tim and Mary, were born in 1954, the family moved to Arlington Heights. While Renee was raising a family, she was a member of AAUW (American Association of University Women), a Girl Scout Leader and a member of many groups at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church. In 1970, she started teaching Kindergarten at Dryden School retiring in 1985. After retirement she attended the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College and graduated as "Pockets." In between gigs, Renee and Dick traveled extensively, taking 19 trips to the United Kingdom and other European countries. She loved teaching, clowning around and traveling, especially to Arvada, CO to see her grandkids.

In her later years, Renee was a member of Questors, the Hopple Popple Chapter, and once served as President of the Chapter. She believed in supporting the preservation of history, memorials and buildings. She loved classical music, the opera on Saturday afternoons, musicals and reading books. And she especially loved her husband, Richard, her children, grandchildren, and great grands.

Renee is survived by:  her children, Dr. Martha C. Schneerman, Timothy Richard Cook (Mary), Mary Ann Mulligan (James); her grandchildren:  Jenny Schweigert (Jeff), Chris Schneerman, Heather Roberts, Brie Larson (John), Taryn Taylor (Shane), Sami Geier (Gavin), Tim Mulligan (Krista), Molly Brown (Mike); and her great-grandchildren:  Lane, Clayton and Wyatt Schweigert, Tim and Harper Larson, Brooke, Audrey and Charlotte Mulligan, Abby and Ben Brown, Mary Jo and Jack Taylor, and baby Geier.

Visitation will be Friday, July 19, 2024 from 10:00AM until 11:00AM followed by a funeral service at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church (1234 North Arlington Heights Rd., Arlington Heights, IL 60004). The family invites you to a reception following the service in the Fellowship Hall. Interment will be at Memory Gardens Cemetery (2501 E. Euclid Ave., Arlington Heights, IL 60004).

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorials be made to:

Our Saviour's Lutheran Youth Ministry
1234 N. Arlington Heights Rd.
Arlington Heights, IL 60004