Teresa "Terrie" Cole

Teresa Marie "Terrie" Cole, (65), Paola, passed away on April 12, 2022 in Olathe, Kansas of stage IV non-Hodgkins’s lymphoma. Terrie was born Oct. 28, 1956, at Chanute Air Force Base, Rantoul, Ill., to John P. and Kathryne L. (Quartier) Rackl. She lived in England for a time and then moved to Sauk Village, Ill., where she lived until her graduation from Bloom Township High School, Chicago Heights, Ill., in 1974. In 1975, she moved to Denver, and in 1978 she met her husband Larry at the Zanzabar County Music Bar. Their first date was Dec. 31, 1978, and they were married May 26, 1979, at Lowry Air Force Base Chapel One. She is survived by her husband of almost 43 years, Larry Cole; her father, John "Jack" (Elizabeth) Rackl of Aurora, Colo.; son Greg A. (Tammy) Cole; granddaughters Alyssa, Maggie and Greta Cole all of Paola; brothers Michael Rackl of New Port Richey, Florida and Joe (Mita) Bulkowski of Santee, Calif.; sisters Vickie Bulkowski of Scottsdale, Ariz., Elissa (Jeremie) Port of Denver, Colo., Laura (Harvey) Walter of Littleton, Colo., Linda (Robert) Reiman of Castle Rock, Colo., and Bobbie (Steve) Perkins of Des Moines, Iowa. Terrie and Larry hosted seven exchange students from Ecuador, Denmark, Norway and Germany, each becoming a part of Terrie’s and Larry’s close family. She was preceded in death by her mother Kathryne Berger and stepfather Edward Berger. Terrie worked at several office jobs in Chicago, Denver and Boston before moving to Kansas where she was an English tutor at Johnson County Community College, a secretary at the Paola First Baptist Church, and social editor at the Miami County Republic newspaper. She retired from the newspaper in 2017 after 18 years of service. The greatest joy for Terrie and Larry was their family, and they especially enjoyed attending and cheering for their son and granddaughters at their various sporting events. Many good times were also had over meals and table games. Terrie's interests included reading, movies, traveling, cooking, and baking. She and Larry also enjoyed dancing every chance they had, including recently taking up country western dancing. She had been president of Miami County Crime Stoppers and Friends of the Paola Free Library. She was a long-time member of the First Baptist Church of Paola where she taught an adult Sunday school class and volunteered in the nursery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church of Paola, Miami County Kansas Cancer Foundation, Hospice House of Olathe, Kansas, or Prairie Paws Animal Shelter of Ottawa, Kansas. To leave condolences or a memory of Terrie please go to the share memory tab.