Celebration of Myrna’s Life

A celebration of Myrna Cook’s life will be held at the Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 10:30 a.m. A reception will be held in the church hall following the service.

Myrna, the founder of our church’s My Sister’s Keeper in 1999, passed away on Jan. 4 at Falmouth By the Sea. She was 84.

Born in Westbrook in 1932, Myrna worked as a visiting nurse in Boston before marrying William H. Cook in 1958. After living in Florida, Upstate New York and Bangor, Bill and Myrna settled in Cape Elizabeth in 1967 with their five young children.

During the 1970s, Myrna worked as an RN in skilled nursing facilities in the Greater Portland area, and helped to develop the geriatric nursing aides at Westbrook College before becoming a social worker with Holy Innocents in Portland.

In later years, Myrna led support groups for people suffering from chronic pain.

After retiring, Myrna joined Bill in a weekly prison ministry at the Cumberland County Jail. Myrna’s experiences in that ministry led to her founding My Sister’s Keeper at our church, a program and support group to help women to make the transition from jail or prison to life back in the community.

To honor her ground-breaking work with My Sister’s Keeper, the Portland Press-Herald featured Myrna in 2012 as one of 10 Mainers to be thankful for.

Memorial gifts may be given in Myrna’s name and memory to:

My Sister’s Keeper

280 Ocean House Road

Cape Elizabeth, ME 04107

Click here for more information on My Sister’s Keeper: MSK

At Wednesday’s memorial service, an honor guard from the Cumberland County Jail will be present in recognition of Myrna’s ministry at the jail.