Eva Marie Cook

In Loving Memory

It is with sadness that we announce the death of Eva Cook, Born Eva Marie Richens, who passed away in her sleep at her retirement home, in Ottawa, Ontario, surrounded by family on October 15th, one week shy of her 89th birthday.

Mom was an artist at heart, born in south west Oxford County and moving to London Ontario as a teen to study art at Beal Secondary School, then participating in the London art scene in the 1960s and early 70s, and showing her work at exhibits throughout south western Ontario. Mom’s love for her two young boys and a need to support herself after a divorce took her away from the easel for many years, studying at Western and eventually plying her skills as a substitute art teacher in south west Ontario’s schools, then as an outreach teacher for the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, ON.

Eventually, mom found the beauty of Manitoulin Island, where good friends Bayne & Jeanne Pearen introduced her to her future husband, Hank. The two courted for a short while, they married, and mom moved to Florida to be with Hank and his loving family – all grown up and living with children of their own in the region. There, surrounded by the love of Hank and his family, mom’s art changed; the lines became sharper and the colours brighter, and gained attention in the Mount Dora art community. Hank’s passing in 2010 and mom’s slowing down brought her to Ottawa Ontario in 2020 where Bayne & Jeanne had retired, and where her son Ern and his family lived.

Mom’s art has many signatures on it; Marie Richens, Marie Bieman, Eva Marie Bieman, Eva Cook, and similar variants. But one thing remained constant… her love of depicting nature, animals and the world around her.

Mom is predeceased by her parents, Eva Richens (born Eva Ellery) and Frederick Richens, her sister Shirley Lovell, and her late husband Henry E. Cook. She is survived by her siblings Norm Richens (Ingersoll, ON), Linda Sivyer (Smithville, ON), and Gordon Richens (Grand Cayman Island), as well as her first husband, J. Wayne Bieman (Kiosk, Ontario), their sons Terrence (Terry) Bieman (Salt Spring Island, BC) and Ernest (Ern) Bieman and his family; Krista House, Benjamin (Ben) Bieman and Oliver (Ollie) Bieman (Ottawa, ON). Mom is also predeceased by her step son Garry A. Cook (Atlanta GA), and is survived by her step children Henry F. Cook Jr (Atlanta GA), Lynne Hobart (Tavares FL), Holly Haines-Kohl (Jacksonville FL), and several grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Three ceremonies will take place in the spring, including a spreading of ashes on Manitoulin Island and Hobe Sound, as well as an internment of ashes at Ebeneezer Cemetery near Mt Elgin ON. Please contact ern.bieman(at)gmail.com to be notified of the details of these events.

If you would like to make a donation in mom's name, please consider the David Suzuki foundation in recognition of her life-long love of our environment.