Trudy Lawsha

Trudy Lawsha, 93, of Ottawa, died Saturday December 8, 2018.

Born in Decatur, IL, on July 7, 1925, she was the only daughter of Phillip H. Cruikshank, her beloved father, and Gertrude Parke Cruikshank. She was a graduate of Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, CT. She moved to Ottawa in her early 20s, when she married her first husband, Harry Cook. When she was 50, she fulfilled a lifelong dream, enrolled at Illinois Valley Community College, earned her Associate Degree in nursing and worked as an RN at the Community Hospital of Ottawa until her retirement in her late 60s.

She had a stubborn, nonconforming and wonderfully resilient spirit, was an accomplished horsewoman, an ardent lover of dogs, had a keen appreciation for a chilled glass of the grape, possessed a wicked sense of humor, with an infectious laugh to match, and adored jokes well told.

She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, William Cruikshank.

She is survived by her children Gay Cook Czopek (Andrew), of Denver; Peter Cook (Cathy), of Ottawa; Anne Ruiz (Michael), of Ottawa; Sara Smith (Craig), of Las Vegas; Lucy Cook, of Chicago; and Julie Beyer, of Ottawa—by grandchildren Phillip Cook, of Chicago; Blake Cook, of Ottawa; Thomas Cook, of Utica; Elizabeth Carretto (Robert), of Ottawa; Jonathan Ruiz (Alecia), of Ottawa; and Benjamin Ruiz, of Chicago—and by great-grandchildren Clare Hammerich-Cook, of Utica; Harrison Carretto, Dane Carretto, Teague Carretto, Ellis Ruiz, Adrian Ruiz and August Ruiz, all of Ottawa.

In honor of her wishes, she was cremated, there will be no service, and family members will have a private celebration of her life. Ottawa Funeral Home and Crematory was entrusted with her cremation rites.