Leona “Cookie” Faye Ivey of Edmond, Oklahoma passed away July 17, 2021 at the age of 76. She was born on August 22, 1944 to John Eugene Patterson and Delia Muriel (Jones) Patterson in Leedey, Oklahoma. Cookie attended Weatherford High School in Weatherford, Oklahoma, and led a beautiful life raising her children and grandchildren and pursuing her passion for home decorating and landscaping for members of her community. She married Donald Eugene Ivey on May 25, 1962 in Many, Louisiana, and they enjoyed 58 years of marriage before his passing in 2020. Cookie will forever be remembered for her creative talents, her outgoing personality, and all the magic and laughter she brought to the world. She was a daughter, little sister (the youngest of 8), wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and a great friend to many. Cookie’s unconditional love and passion for life will forever be carried on by those who knew and loved her.
It is impossible to pay tribute to Cookie without mentioning her gardens. Cookie always said that her flowers gave her peace of mind, and her yard was truly her happy place. She was a central figure and best customer at her local plant nurseries, and many people who worked in the nurseries knew her on a first name basis and looked forward to her visits. Anyone who loved Cookie can remember her standing in her yard with a water hose in one hand and a Diet Pepsi in the other, happily exclaiming, “It’s hotter than a whizbang out here!” Cookie was exceptionally hardworking and determined, and when she had a landscaping idea she didn’t stop until she saw it through. When Cookie was in her 60’s she decided she wanted a koi pond at the lake house, so she went outside and dug it herself! She hauled in large rocks to surround the pond, and meticulously cared for her beloved fish for over 10 years. Cookie’s yard not only brought her great pride, but it also brought a lifetime of joy and memories to her family and friends. Her grandchildren spent many summers in her vegetable gardens, and they have countless wonderful memories helping Mimi dig up her ferns, catching tortoises in her yard, and watering her beautiful hosta lilies. Her yard was so much more than a beautiful landscape, it was also a place where Cookie stored a lifetime of keepsakes and memories. Anyone who explored the yard would find tributes to her beloved yorkies over the years, art projects made for her by her grandchildren, thousands of rocks she collected on her many adventures and walks, and so much more. It’s no surprise that Cookie’s yard was her happy place because it really was a place filled with a lifetime of love.
In addition to her gardens, Cookie will always be cherished and remembered for the love and magic she brought to every holiday. There is not a person on this planet who could match Cookie’s enthusiasm for holidays, particularly Christmas. She always said, “The only thing I like about winter is Christmas!” and she really, really loved Christmas. Every year Cookie’s home turned into a mesmerizing winter wonderland complete with dozens of Christmas trees, glittering snow, twinkling lights, hundreds of snow globes, and so much more. Cookie handmade each of her Christmas bows, and meticulously wrapped each and every gift. She was adamant about bringing the joy and magic of Christmas to her grandchildren every single year, and she absolutely accomplished this goal. Cookie was truly the grandmother every person wishes they had. In her honor, Cookie’s family has saved all of her Christmas decorations, and each year her great-grandchildren will choose their special “Mimi ornament” so that the magic of Mimi’s Christmas lives on. The love and energy that Cookie put into making memories every single chance she got is so unique in this world, and her friends and family will forever be grateful to her for this gift.
Cookie is survived by her daughter, Kelly Ivey Rodriguez and husband, David of Kingston, Oklahoma; son, John Ivey and wife, Kathryn of Coalgate, Oklahoma; grandchildren, Jenny Walker and husband, Russell of Austin, Texas, Jay Jamison of McKinney, Texas, Hannah Ivey of Norman, Oklahoma, and Chris Rodriguez and wife Samantha of Marshall, Arkansas; great-grandchildren, Laurel Ivey Walker and Marjorie “Georgie” Walker; sisters, Pat Thomas of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Margaret Vasoll of Tulsa, Oklahoma; and a host of nieces, nephews, other loving family, friends and her beloved Yorkie “Bo”.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Ivey; parents, John and Delia Patterson; brothers, Edward Page, Jerry Patterson, Don Patterson, and Johnny Patterson; and sister, Nancy Thomas.