Nancy Jo Coole

Nancy Jo Coole, 73, of Belvidere, IL and Fort Myers, FL, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 11, 2018 at Alexian Brothers Hospice in Elk Grove Village following a tragic accident.

Nancy was born on December 27, 1944 in Taft, California to Joseph and Mary (Varvir) Kozminske. The oldest of three children, she was raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Nancy graduated from St. Augustine High School in 1962 and from Western Michigan University in April of 1966 with a Bachelors Degree in Speech Pathology. While at WMU, Nancy met her sweetheart, Bill. They married on May 14, 1966. Prior to moving to Durham, North Carolina, Nancy led an assessment team for Operation Head Start in Detroit. While Bill was completing law school, she worked with children with mental disabilities as a speech therapist. The couple then moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where their three children were born, before settling in Rockford, Illinois in 1976.

Upon her arrival in Rockford, Nancy quickly became an active volunteer in the Rockford community, offering her time, energy, and service to causes she cared about. Over the years, she was involved in service endeavors related to her love of the arts, education, her Catholic faith, and her compassion for the poor and disabled. Nancy gave her treasures of time and talent to many organizations which are too numerous to mention. She made many friends along the way. Most recently, she was actively supporting St. Anne’s Center.

Nancy was an incredible mom and a devoted supporter of the academic and athletic aspirations of her three children. She especially enjoyed the years she traveled with her daughter Lisa to swim meets all over the country. Nancy will be remembered by the people who met her for her friendly, outgoing personality, her gentle kindness and her beautiful smile.

Nancy was passionately pro-life and was a devoted member of Holy Family Parish in Rockford for 42 years. More recently, Nancy also became an active member of Saint John the XXIII in Fort Myers, FL.

Nancy’s family would like to thank the many doctors, ICU nurses, and chaplains of Alexian Brothers Hospital and Alexian Brothers Hospice in Elk Grove Village for the excellent care, expertise and compassion they showed Nancy and her family during the last two weeks of her life. She was so blessed with the prayers of many individuals for healing and a peaceful passing.

Nancy is survived by her devoted husband of 52 years, Bill Coole, of Belvidere; daughter Michelle Coole of Loves Park; son Bryan (Sarah) Coole of Singapore; grandsons Liam Coole of Snowqualmie, WA, and Fynn, Archie, and Charlie Coole of Singapore; brother Ron (Ann) Kozminske of Chesterfield, MO; sister Joan (Ken) Van Wormer of Holland, MI; sister-in-law Muriel Waldschmidt of Wayne, MI; brother-in-law Roland (Mary) Coole of West Bloomfield, MI; and several nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her daughter, Lisa Coole, in May of 1998, and her parents and godparents.

Mass of Catholic burial will be held on Friday, October 19, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Family Catholic Church, 4402 Highcrest Road, Rockford, IL, 61107 with Reverend Phillip Kaim officiating. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 18, 2018 at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, 1860 S. Mulford Road, Rockford, IL, 61008 and on Friday for 45 minutes prior to the funeral service at Holy Family Catholic Church.

In lieu of flowers, Nancy would want to be remembered with memorial donations to the causes closest to her heart: The Pregnancy Care Center of Rockford, 4108 Morsay Drive, Rockford, IL 61107 or the Artists’ Ensemble Theater, P.O. Box 1684, Rockford, IL, 61110. Share online condolences at www.fitzgeraldfh.com