known to most as Cookie, left this earth to make her journey to heaven in the early morning of May 17th, 2017. The love of her husband Dave, daughters, Karlye and Mallory, and her sweet cats surrounded her. In her nine-month battle with pancreatic cancer, Cookie showed more grace, courage, and selflessness than anyone could have imagined. Her focus was never on herself but instead on the happiness and well being of those she loved. Cookie was a caring and devoted wife to her husband of nearly 41 years, Dave Ghrist, and the worldrsquo;s greatest, most loving, giving, thoughtful, and always fun mother and best friend to Karlye Rodriguez, Mallory Ghrist, and son-in-law, Ben Rodriguez. She devoted herself to her family and their life together was filled with endless love, laughter, adventure, and sweetness. She cherished the close relationship she shared with her beloved mother, Vitina (Vera) Cassise, never missing one of their morning, laughter filled, phone calls, and warmly remembered her father, Joseph Cassise who she lost when she was only 17. She loved and respected her mother-in-law Helen Ghrist and enjoyed the times they shared in Florida. She felt incredibly blessed to share such special bonds with her brother Paul and his wife Trudy Cassise, the time spent together was full of joking, laughter, and reminiscing. She adored her baby sister Connie and her husband Dan Monette and considered them not only to be family but her closest friends. She was happy to gain another sister (in-law), Betsy and brother-in-law, the late Lewis Beebe and fondly reflected on the fun holiday celebrations they shared. She loved being an aunt to niece Michelle (Shelly) Beebe and husband Timo Rajasaari, nephew Joseph, wife Kate, and children Dominic, Grace, and Joey Cassise, niece Danielle, husband Rob, and children Jack, Alex, Max, and Cam Heumann, niece Toni, husband Mike, and children Luke and Maria Gojcaj, and nephew Patrick, wife Nicole, and children Peter and Jacob Monette. She cherished relationships with many aunts, uncles, and cousins and delighted in sharing memories and stories of times spent together. She was a fantastic friend to everyone she met and always made others feel heard, valued, respected, and loved. The lifelong friendships that she shared with her dear friends Pat Orsquo;Rourke, Barb Paci, Ruth Wheeler, and many others were so special and meant the world to her. Her wishes are that those she cares for will always treat themselves and each other with love and kindness and that we all will live life with joyful hearts, appreciating the happiness and beauty in each day. She will be missed terribly and her physical loss will be felt deeply by each life she touched but the memories she created and the inspirational way she impacted this world will last forever.