Mary Therese "Terry" Cole

Mary Therese “Terry” Cole passed away peacefully on April 30, 2025, at Ebeid Hospice in Sylvania, Ohio, at age 92, following complications from a fall six weeks earlier. Born Jan. 3, 1933, to Raymond and Claire (Murphy) Clark, Terry attended Ottawa Hills grade school and high school, graduating in 1951. Despite her mother’s ill health when Terry was young, she and her older sisters – Sharon and Marilyn – enjoyed a home on Evergreen Road that was always filled with extended family and friends, including her grandfather, Joseph Murphy, who composed the civic anthem, “We’re Strong for Toledo.” The first of her four careers – each of which she enjoyed and where she made lifelong friendships – began as a clerk at Owens Corning. For many years after that, she was a travel agent for the Toledo Trust Co., sending clients on exotic trips around the world. Appreciative travelers often returned with a memento or souvenir, many of which can still be found in her home. Terry was an avid traveler herself. An early member of the Toledo Ski Club, she enjoyed snow skiing wherever she could – in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. She often told a story of “falling off a mountain” in Switzerland. She had many other travel adventures throughout North America, the Caribbean, and Europe. Among her many exploits, she visited Mexico City in 1955 when only one traffic light had been installed. She sailed the Queen Elizabeth to London in 1957 and the Lurline to Honolulu the following year. When she sailed to Haiti in 1960, the Port-au-Prince newspaper, Le Nouvelliste, heralded the arrival of Mademoiselle Clark. On Feb. 16, 1963, she married Frank H. Cole, Jr., a highly regarded car salesman. Together, she and Frank raised three sons, Jeffrey, Peter, and Raymond. Ray was born with Down syndrome in 1971, at a time when doctors suggested he be institutionalized. Frank and Terry insisted that he be raised in a loving household and have the same opportunities as anyone else. Through her tireless efforts, Ray was able to receive his First Holy Communion, graduate from Whitmer High School, and earn meaningful employment, including 25 years with The Andersons. She also supported Ray’s participation in Special Olympics for well over 20 years, driving him to tournaments every weekend during the bowling season. Together, they also attended the National Down Syndrome Conference for a number of years. Her passion for Ray’s success resulted in the support of many others. She was heavily involved in parent groups for children with Down syndrome and served on the board of directors of ARC of Lucas County. She was honored by the organization in 1997 as Volunteer of the Year. During this time, Frank developed a then-rare form of leukemia, from which he succumbed in 1986. Throughout his more than two years of medical tests and suffering, she cared for him and continued raising their three sons. In addition to Ray’s development, she also played an amazing role in Jeff’s and Peter’s life and was an active member of the Chappuis Society at St. Francis de Sales High School, where they attended. After Frank’s death, she continued her commitment to special needs students by becoming a teacher’s aide in the Washington Local School District, working with multiple-handicap students and making even more friends with both students and their parents. She concluded her career at The University of Toledo, where she worked for more than 13 years as a receptionist in the Athletic Department. She enjoyed Rocket athletics, regularly attending men’s basketball games since the 1960s and was an early fan of the Lady Rockets. Even last fall, she could also be found in Lot 10 tailgating before football games, and she attended her last Lady’s basketball game in February. Terry was an excellent cook and especially enjoyed preparing for large family gatherings, as well as large family vacations. In addition to continued travel adventures with close friends, she and her family enjoyed more than 50 summers at Round Lake, Michigan, where she made even more friends – especially among the euchre players. If there was a card game to be played, a pontoon ride to be taken, or a bonfire to be enjoyed, she was in! She was also a dog lover, fondly remembering Skipper from her youth, Muggins when her boys were young, and four golden retrievers later in life. She had a passion for gardening and often said that flowers made her smile. Upon returning home from rehab after fracturing her neck two years ago, the first thing she did was start weeding her garden. In addition to ARC of Lucas County and St. Francis de Sales School, she also volunteered at the Little Sisters of the Poor and Mercy St. Anne Hospital. The daughter and granddaughter of accomplished artists, she also dabbled in art and was a proud member of the Toledo Museum of Art, where her Aunt Lily Mattimoe was a teacher and provided her first formal art lessons. Preceded in death by her parents, as well as sisters Sharon Rush and Marilyn McNamee, she is survived by her sons, Jeff, Pete, and Ray, all of Toledo, as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family, all of whom she cherished. Visitation will take place Tuesday, May 6, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Ansberg-West Funeral Home, 3000 W. Sylvania Ave., with recitation of the Holy Rosary at 7:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 7, at Christ the King Church, 4100 Harvest Lane, where she has been a member for more than 60 years. The family will receive visitors at the church beginning at 9:30 a.m. Interment will take place after the Mass at Resurrection Cemetery, with a luncheon immediately following. Despite Terry’s love of flowers, the family requests you instead consider a gift to Memory Lane Care Services, 2500 N. Reynolds Rd., Toledo, OH 43615, or the St. Francis de Sales School Foundation, 2323 W. Bancroft St., Toledo, OH 43607.

Mary Therese "Terry" Cole

January 3, 1933 - April 30, 2025