Marian Elizabeth Justice Cocke's Obituary
Marian Elizabeth Justice Cocke joined her family in God's House on March 5th. She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Robert Andrew Cocke, and her daughter, Catherine (Katey) Cocke Worrell. She is survived by her nieces, Sally VonderHoya, Jill Odom, Susan Bowles and nephew John VonderHoya, and her much loved acquired family Joe and Beverly Michalek and their children, whom she considered her grandchildren, Joe, Chris and Heather and her 7 great grandchildren.
Born on July 28, 1926, at Fort Benning, Georgia, to Lt. Colonel Howard and Nocal Justice. Marian proudly called herself an "Army Brat" and had her first introduction to civilian life when she went to nursing school. She was also a member of the Cadet Nursing Corp. Marian graduated and became a register nurse in 1949 and devoted her life to her family and to nursing until her retirement in 2004. She was a Life Elder at Lindenwood Christian Church, assisted in the development of the Stephen Ministry, worked as a volunteer, was a past chair of Worship services and loved to help out in the kitchen preparing the Wednesday night dinners. She transferred her membership to Collierville Christian Church when Pastors Ron Buck and Morgan Parks relocated there.
Marian is well known as being Elvis Presley’s nurse and she loved telling stories about her time with him. She loved Elvis and valued her friendships with Priscilla, Lisa Marie and her extended Graceland family and friends. Until the day she died, she missed him and was thankful for the time she spent with him. She made many lifelong friends through Elvis, with whom she continued to keep in touch. Nursing was what she wanted to do since she was 5 years old. She truly felt it was her calling. She was Aunt Marian to her nieces and nephews, Marian to her friends, and Mimi to her grandkids and great grandkids. Always a caring and generous person, she began The Elvis Presley Memorial Dinner Charity Event (EPMD) in 1989, which continued annually until 2019. Money raised went to support numerous charities including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Cerebral Palsy, Special Olympics, The Humane Society, The Elvis Presley Trauma Center, MIFA, The Elvis Presley Foundation, Baptist Memorial Hospital Foundation and the Russell Home in Orlando, Florida.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 21 at 1:00 p.m. at Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, at 5668 Poplar Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, with visitation starting at 12:00 p.m. "Where Memphis comes to remember."
To view the service for Mrs. Cocke online. Click the link below.
https://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/110929/hash:D3F010FDB34E4668
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