Rivian Donzis Cookie Markey

Cookie was born on December 30, 1933, in Pontiac Michigan, to Louis and Edith Harris. She had one sister, June, who passed away in 1999. She moved to San Antonio in 1947 and graduated from Jefferson High School before attending Purdue University. She married Jerome Donzis in 1954, and had three children, Melanie, Henry, and Lewis. After Jerome was killed in 1977 in an automobile accident, she married Paul Markey in 1978, and they were absolutely inseparable until his death in 2010. They traveled extensively and generously supported many charities throughout San Antonio. Over the years, she worked as a realtor and interior designer, and graduated from Trinity University with a degree in Art.

Cookie was an avid painter and was always physically active, enjoying skiing, tennis, swimming, ping pong, and, most of all, playing with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She loved games of all sorts, bridge, solitaire, and later, video games. She was a friend to every person she met, her bubbly personality being completely infectious. She treated everyone, no matter their situation, with compassion, respect, and humanity, and was famous for her generosity, not to mention fresh squeezed orange juice each morning for everyone in her vicinity. Cookie loved to gather the family, and every possible event had to be celebrated with ultimate fanfare. She also loved her San Antonio Spurs, attending nearly every home game for decades. Wherever she went, whether it was a Spurs game, the grocery store, the gas station, or a restaurant, everyone knew her and she had hugs and kisses for everyone and made them feel special.

She is survived by her children, Melanie and Fred Price, Randy and Marcia Markey, Freida Donzis, Lawrence and Gina Markey, and Lewis and Kathy Donzis; her fourteen grandchildren, Stephanie and David Portnoy, Jennifer and Marc Weinstein, Max Markey, Sarah and David Kestenbaum, Elissa Donzis, Joey Donzis, Sophia and Stella Markey, Monica and Mike Bruce, Todd Widell, and Madison Donzis; ten great grandchildren, Jordan and Alexis Portnoy, Jason and Ryan Weinstein, Colette, Brandon, Dominick, Nolan, and Carly Bruce, and West Widell; and dozens of nieces and nephews whom she adored and who all loved their Aunt Cookie. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Jerome (1977) and Paul (2010) and her sons Michael (1988) and Henry (2015). She relied on her trusted long-time assistant, Diana Giddings, and caregiver Liza like members of the family. She also received extraordinary care from Aurora, Elva, Irene, Marie, Michelle, and Sylvia.

Graveside services will be held at Beth-El Memorial Park, 1715 Austin Highway, on Sunday, October 9th, at 3:30pm. Cookie always said that her mother told her to be a special blessing in the world, and with her unbounded affection and generosity, that is exactly how she will be remembered.